


Despicable Me: Withdrawal Symptoms

by FanFicFanatic2002



Category: Despicable Me (Movies)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28937343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicFanatic2002/pseuds/FanFicFanatic2002
Summary: Gru had always been a villain, no question. But after the girls came into his life, it was all thrown up into the air. Can Gru juggle being a Dad and a criminal mastermind, or will one have to be sacrificed? Takes place between the end of Despicable Me and the beginning of Despicable Me 2.





	1. Chapter 1- Divided Loyalties

CHAPTER 1- DIVIDED LOYALTIES

NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED, RIGHTS TO DESPICABLE ME ARE ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT'S AND UNIVERSAL'S.

THIS FANFICTION IS ABOUT THE EVENTS BETWEEN THE END OF DESPICABLE ME AND THE BEGINNING OF DESPICABLE ME 2 – WHERE GRU HAS DIFFICULT CHOICES TO MAKE ABOUT HIS EXISTING LIVELIHOOD.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

SO, MY FIRST DESPICABLE ME FANFIC! NEEDLESS TO SAY, I'M VERY EXCITED. IF ANYONE LIKES HARRY POTTER, YOU SHOULD READ MY OTHER FANFICTIONS (DEFINITLEY NOT A SHAMELSS PLUG).

ANYWAY, WELCOME TO 'WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS'! THIS TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE END OF DESPICABLE ME AND THE BEGINNING OF DESPICABLE ME 2, AND FOCUSES ON GRU'S JOB AS A VILLAIN, AND ATTEMPTING TO BALANCE HIS CAREER AND HIS NEW FAMILY. HOWEVER, THE WIND OF CHANGE IS PASSING, AND IS GRU HAVING RESERVATIONS?

THIS FANFICTION IS GOING TO BE PRETTY LONG TOO, SO MAKE SURE YOU STAY TUNED FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS! ALSO, ASIDE FROM WHEN THE MINIONS ARE SINGING, WORDS SPOKEN BY THE MINIONS WILL BE WRITTEN BACKWARDS.

SIT BACK, RELAX, GRAB A BEVERAGE OF YOUR CHOOSING, AND ENJOY!

Gru grinned up at the moon, while distinctive beat of 'You Should Be Dancing' by the Bee Gees came from below. He wasn't sure if he had ever been this happy before. Come to think of it, he was unsure if he had ever truly been happy. Sure, the life of villainy definitely seemed satisfying, but it never made him feel like he did at that moment. Warmth spread through his body, and an intoxicating smile emanated from his face. This was true happiness, and he knew it.

But what about the future?

Gru's happiness slumped. He was still a villain. The greatest villain of all time. The man who stole the moon. He had over a thousand minions, all of whom were dedicated to him, and his life of evil. Doctor Nefario was evil through and through. His mother 'raised', a word Gru used tentatively, him to become a villain. It was all he'd ever known. But now he was having doubts. The girls were so sweet, innocent, and pure. He knew he loved them more than he'd ever loved anything in his life, and he would never forgive himself if something happened to them.

He knew he had a choice to make.

Be a villain, or be a Dad.

He shuddered, but not because of the evening cold. His divided loyalties were what shook him the most. Was it too late to reform? Would the girls be okay with him being a villain? How could he keep them safe if anyone came after him? What would happen to Nefario and the Minions if he quit? How would he get money if he gave up? His head started to pound, there was so much to think about.

"What's wrong, Gru?"

Margo had picked up from Gru's face there was something wrong. His face wasn't frowning, like it usually did. If she saw him frowning, she wouldn't even ask if there was anything wrong. But his face was etched with concern, like he was worried about something. Margo wasn't used to that – he usually knew what he was doing.

"Oh, notheeng." Gru replied, nonchalantly. He didn't want her to be concerned about his problems. "I'm fine."

"Well, okay." Margo knew he was lying, but she was enjoying their moment too much to question him.

Gru couldn't help but smile. His three little kittens were by his side, and that's all he needed at that moment. There was no need to jump to any conclusions. His gaze moved over to Agnes, who was perched on his shoulder, her big eyes reflecting the moon into his. Noticing him looking at her, Agnes turned to look at Gru. She gave him a warm smile which melted his heart. Had she always been that cute? Giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, which caused the youngest girl to giggle sweetly, Gru turned to his tomboyish middle child, Edith. She had a mischievous grin on her face, grasping onto his leg tightly as she looked up at the lunar surface. He gently placed his free arm on her shoulder, which made her look up at him and smile. He echoed her by giving a comforting smile back. He was fully aware of how much they'd been through, not just in the past few weeks, but also their lives. That Miss Hattie was a terrible woman by her description from the girls. Just thinking of them being stuffed inside the so-called 'boxes of shame' made him almost crazy with rage – and also regret. He had sent them back, and he was fully prepared for them not to trust him straight away, but he hoped to earn it by being the best Dad he could.

"Gru, it's getting cold, can we go back in and enjoy the party?" Edith asked, tugging on Gru's leg. Gru nodded, and signalled the platform to begin their descent. He took one last look at the full moon in the sky, smirking.

'I know someone who's going to be very cold tonight.' He thought to himself, resisting the urge to laugh. He wasn't sure why, but he found himself scanning the moon's surface for any orange he could find. Of course, it was so far away that all he saw were the craters. But he knew he was up there somewhere – stuck in a cold, lunar hell.

Eventually the moon dipped out of view, and the sounds of We Are the Champions by Queen got louder and louder, as well as the Minions singing in their unusual hybrid language.

"Pem nama ta champions, mi migo!"

The girls jumped off the platform, which has now reached the ground, to go and party with the Minions.

"Pem'll tenga en yowoff, till ta fin!"

Gru smiled broadly as he looked around at his family. The girls, the Minions, Nefario, less so his Mom, they were quickly becoming an unbreakable unit, of which he was seemingly at the head. But the same concerns still lingered in the back of his mind. He was both elated and worried at the same time.

His life, by some peculiar twist of fate, became a lot more confusing.

"Pem nama ta champions, pem nama ta champions!"

But Gru just decided to enjoy these precious moments, watching his girls dance with glee. They charged up to him, jumping up and down in rhythm to the music, insistent that he do the same. Usually, he wouldn't have indulged in such childish activities, but he just couldn't help himself this time, joining in with the chorus of Minions.

"No te nunu nixnap, feguin pem nama ta champions!"

And he really felt like one.

Later that night, when the mad rush of adrenaline had died down, when teeth were brushed and drowsiness kicked in, Gru tucked the girls into bed, after another popular rendition of 'One Big Unicorn'. He was just about to switch the light off, when he felt someone tug on his arm. Looking to the source of movement, Margo stood there, eyeing him curiously.

"Hey, Gru. Can I talk to you?" She whispered, so as to not stir her drifting sisters. Gru nodded and they stepped outside the bedroom. Gru was worried, what did she want to talk about?

"Ummm… ees everything okay?" he asked as Margo continued to observe him as if he were a complicated math problem.

"It's just… you've been a bit weird lately. Like something's on your mind." Gru felt pressure rise in his throat. The last thing he wanted was to worry her, but he also wasn't exactly the best liar. While he was perfectly aware of her elevated maturity for her age, she was still just a little girl. He didn't want her to overthink it – especially if she began to think he would send them back to Miss Hattie. That was not an option. Ever.

But he didn't want to lie to her.

"Ah, keeten," he sighed, getting down onto his knees in order to meet her at eye level. "There's just a lot of theengs that I need to theenk about. Notheeing to worry about!"

But Margo wasn't taking no for an answer.

"What things? We haven't done anything wrong have we?"

It was at that moment that Gru realised just how vulnerable she was. He was the only safety net she and the other girls had to protect them from Miss Hattie, or worse. She was so reliant on him, but she didn't even trust him. He had hurt her so badly by sending them back, just when she started to feel love for the first time in a long time, it was taken so suddenly. He had to make things right.

"Of course not, sweetheart. There's just a few work problems, that ees all." She still wasn't exactly convinced, so he shifted a bit closer, and placed a comforting had on her shoulder. "I won't send you back." She looked deeply into his eyes, scanning him for even an ounce of dishonesty, finding none. "Eet was the worst meestake I ever made. I was too afraid of how I was feeling to understand what you really meant to me. But I am not afraid anymore. You are my life now, and there ees notheeng to worry about."

Her eyes were welling with tears, and Gru was so worried that she didn't believe him. But he was quickly disproven by her launching herself at him, burying herself into his chest.

"I love you, Dad."

Gru was unsure if she realised exactly how she had addressed him, but he didn't care. He felt his heart explode in his ribcage, his stomach fill with butterflies, and all his other worries melt away.

He was her Dad.

"I love you too."

They remained in an embrace for quite some time, just enjoying the moment too much to even notice how much time had passed. Margo's mind was alive with emotions, most of which she didn't understand. She felt this warm, tingly feeling in her stomach, something she didn't think she'd ever felt before. She couldn't quite find words to describe it, but maybe that didn't matter. She felt loved, and that was the important thing.

"You should get to bed." Gru said, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, wiping a tear from her cheek at the same time. She gave him a warming smile, melting his stony heart.

"Goodnight." She said, looking back at him before she closed the door delicately.

"Sleep tight."

Gru got back on his feet, the smile not leaving his face.

"Eh, Boss?"

Gru turned around to see Tim standing behind him, a similar smile on his face. The Minions loved the girls almost as much as he did, frequently joining in with tea parties, crayon drawings and chasing each other round the house. For a species that was billions of years old, the Minions still acted like children.

"Doctor Nefario stnaw tees uoy ni eht bal." The small Minion chirped happily, his gaze fixated on the door. He was already daydreaming about tomorrow's tea party – he'd been promised banana cookies.

"Thank you Tim." Gru replied, looking behind him at the bedroom door, then back at Tim. "You're not to go een there, they're sleeping."

"Yes, Boss." Tim saluted, then turned and walked back down the stairs.

Gru scratched his head. What did Nefario want this time of night, especially after the big party? He thought the old man would have hit the hay early. All manner of possibilities crossed Gru's mind as he descended to his lair below the house. There were relatively few Minions about, as most had already gone to bed. The ones who were awake were just snacking on fruit or chattering amongst themselves, preparing for the night shift. A few gave Gru a wave as he descended, and Gru always responded by doing the same.

Reaching the lab, Gru located his elderly right-hand man.

"Doctor Nefario?"

"Ah, Gru! I'm guessing Tim found you?" The old Doctor was sorting through papers, which surprised Gru. Usually he had the Minions do paperwork, which always had a varying degree of success.

"Yeah, what ees going on?" Gru asked inquisitively.

"Well, it's been a while since we've done any scheming, so I was wondering if you had anything cooking in that mischievous mind of yours?"

Gru gulped. In all honesty, he hadn't even thought about a new heist. He'd been busy with the girls. Could he tell Nefario that he was unsure about his future as a villain?

"Uhhh… not as such." Gru said, timidly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ah." Nefario turned his back on Gru, then sighed. "Gru, I'm going to be honest with you." Gru stiffened up, readying himself in response to Nefario's deep tone. "It's been two weeks since we've done anything. All our instructions have been is to maintain the lab and reorganise the weapons. Do you have any idea how dull that is?"

Gru gulped. He was in trouble.

"Your point?"

Nefario gave an exasperated sigh.

"Gru! You're going soft! I get you wanting to look after the girls, but you know as well as I do that you're a villain through and through!"

Gru couldn't even argue with that. He'd spent his entire life making a name for himself. Gru – the world's best villain. It wasn't that he didn't believe he was a villain, but he didn't know if he wanted to be a villain anymore.

"I know… I've just heet a brainblock is all!" Gru proclaimed, knowing he was lying. Nefario cocked his head, encouraging him to speak more. "I mean… we stole the moon! Eet's hard to theenk of how to top that, you know?"

Nefario scratched his chin.

"I supposed you're right. But we've got to get that head of yours back into the game! You'll never top it if you don't think about it! You know I'm ready to go, the Minions are ready to go!" This was met with a small cheer from Minions who were close by and listening to their Boss' conversation. "We're only waiting on you. So come on, sit down, let's brainstorm." Nefario pointed to a seat, and Gru reluctantly sat. "Okay, so, any ideas?"

They sat for hours, Minions bustling in and out bringing them coffee. But no progress was made at all.

And for one reason.

"Okay," Nefario grabbed another sheet of paper, attaching it to a stand and grabbed a pen. "How about stealing the Thousand Year Emerald from the Bailey Brothers?" Gru considered this option. The Bailey Brothers were a very powerful criminal organisation, almost akin to the Mafia. They had this incredibly expensive, incredibly old emerald which was rumoured to have been left on Earth by aliens, that could power an entire city for the next thousand years. There were definitely positives to the idea – they'd be very rich, and they'd save a lot on their electricity bills, which were sky high. Maintaining a lair filled to the brim with Minions, weapons and equipment didn't come for free. But a startling thought crossed Gru's mind. If the Bailey Brothers ever found out the truth, him, and three generations of his family would be tortured and brutally executed. Putting the girls at risk was not an option.

"No, I don't theenk so." Gru said, while Nefario's face dropped.

"Gru! Why are you passing up these very reasonable opportunities? We've been here for hours and you've said 'no' to every single idea!"

Gru knew he couldn't keep his true feelings from Nefario for long. It was better to come out and say it.

"Leesten," Gru started, not exactly sure how to proceed. "I can't… I can't… put the gurls… in… any danger."

Nefario couldn't believe his ears. This was all because of the girls?

"Oh Gru…" Nefario groaned. "This is what this is about? The girls?"

Gru nodded, looking back up at Nefario.

"What if sometheeng happened to me? What would happen to them?" Gru began, angrily. He desperately wanted to make this point. "What if they get keednapped? Or keeled? I would not be able to leeve with myself! I can't… I can't take the kind of reesks we used too. I just can't."

Nefario desperately wanted to argue with Gru, find a reason why he was wrong. But there just wasn't one. He was absolutely right. Nefario had felt guilty about sending the girls back since Gru readopted them. He would never admit to it, but he'd actually grown quite fond of them. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to live with himself either. Nefario walked over to Gru, patting him on the shoulder.

"I get it, old boy." Gru was stunned by Nefario's understanding, but didn't resent it. "You have a family now. There's not much time for evil anymore, I suppose."

Gru wasn't having that.

"Hey, you're family too." Gru gave Nefario a small smile, which he returned. "I still want to do evil." Gru continued. "We just have to theenk a bit more, that ees all." An awkward silence descended between the two, making Gru very uncomfortable. He looked around the lab, at all his achievements and dastardly plans, just hoping for inspiration. But nothing came to him.

"Look, it's late." Nefario said, gloomily. "You need to be up early to make breakfast, I imagine."

"Yeah." Gru replied sadly. "Don't worry, we'll get sometheeng."

"Goodnight, Gru." Nefario stood, walking over to his quarters.

"Goodnight, Doctor." Gru walked out of the laboratory, back in the direction of the chute.

Gru passed some Minions on his way back, who were looking up at him expectantly.

"Sorry guys, notheeng tonight."

This was met with a sad collective "Awww…" from the Minions. Gru knew he needed to rally their support.

"But! We will soon have sometheeng! Soon, we will do sometheeng very beeg, and we will be marcheeng the high road to glory!"

Gru hated lying to his loyal Minions, as it was unclear whether or not he would ever have something for them.

The mood did an immediate 180, as the Minions began to cheer.

"Okay! Now get back to work!" Gru commanded. The Minions saluted, then continued about their business, chattering excitedly.

Gru ascended back up to the house, then immediately went to check on the girls, who were all sleeping peacefully. Gru couldn't resist smiling at them, but this was met with a sharp pang of regret. He had no idea what to do in order to keep them safe.

After a shower and change, Gru got into bed. However, he wasn't tired in the slightest. His mind was buzzing with questions. He sighed sadly.

'If only theengs could be different…' he thought to himself. 'If I was een charge, the world would be very different. If I was een charge, they would be safe. If I was een charge…'

Gru stopped.

If he was in charge…

An evil smile crossed his face, as he sat up in bed and laughed quietly.

"Lightbulb."

TO BE CONTINUED

AH, FIRST CHAPTER DONE. DOES GRU HAVE ANOTHER DESPICABLE PLAN? WELL, YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT FOR CHAPTER TWO. THIS FANFIC HAS BEEN REALLY FUN TO PLAN AND WRITE SO FAR, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BRING THE REST TO YOU!

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS STORY SO YOU KNOW WHEN I POST!

PLEASE DON'T BE SHY, LEAVE A REVIEW! IT REALLY HELPS ME OUT AS A WRITER!

NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!


	2. Chapter 2- The Ugliest of Truths

CHAPTER 2- THE UGLIEST OF TRUTHS

NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED, RIGHTS TO DESPICABLE ME ARE ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT'S AND UNIVERSAL'S.

THIS FANFICTION IS ABOUT THE EVENTS BETWEEN THE END OF DESPICABLE ME AND THE BEGINNING OF DESPICABLE ME 2 – WHERE GRU HAS DIFFICULT CHOICES TO MAKE ABOUT HIS EXISTING LIVELIHOOD.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS ABOUT THE FIRST CHAPTER! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE STORY AS WE CONTINUE ON! I KNOW THIS HASN'T QUITE HAD THE EXPOSURE OF MY OTHER FANFICS, DESPICABLE ME DOESN'T QUITE HAVE THE RANGE THAT HARRY POTTER FANFICTIONS DO, UNFORTUNATLEY. HOWEVER, I WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE IF YOU COULD SHARE THIS FANFICTION ROUND TO ANYONE YOU THINK WOULD GET A KICK OUT OF IT!

IMPORTANT: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DELICATE SUBJECTS ON CHILD WELFARE AND COULD TRIGGER SOME PEOPLE.

ANYWAY, LET'S PRESS ON!

Gru could hardly sleep with all the possibilities flooding through his head. His plan was far-fetched, that was for sure. But he also knew once he workshopped the idea with Doctor Nefario they would come up with a beautifully designed, oven-ready plan. This went far beyond stealing the moon.

This was about controlling another celestial entity.

Just as Gru was giggling to himself, he heard his door gently creak open. Looking towards it, he saw his tomboyish middle child, Edith, who was standing silently in the doorway, her eyes bleary with tears, her cheeks stained with the very same, which shone in the moonlight.

"Edith?" Gru sat up, his evil thinking cap replaced with a fatherly crash helmet. "What's wrong, keeten?"

Edith burst into tears. Gru was astounded – he had never seen Edith cry. In fact, he was beginning to wonder whether or not she was even capable. Just two days prior she had jumped off the roof, attempting to parkour off of Gru's obnoxious vehicle. She had completely misjudged the jump, bounced off the surface, slid down the side and grazed her right leg from the knee down to the ankle. To Gru and the other girls, it was visually disturbing how Edith almost seemed not to react to it, despite it appearing unbearably painful. Gru had clipped his toenails and given off more signs of injury than Edith had done.

He wasn't sure why he hadn't noticed it until now – but not reacting to pain as a child was not normal. When Agnes fell off the couch and landed headfirst onto Kyle, she was inconsolable for at least two hours. Even when Margo sustained a papercut she winced and tears filled her eyes as Gru tried so delicately to place a plaster over the small but painful wound. Edith never gave so much as a grunt to pain.

For the first time, he was concerned about her past upbringing.

Miss Hattie had run him through their birth families, but he had tuned out long before then, trying to figure out a way to speed up this process so he could steal the shrink ray.

Edith had entered foetal position on the floor, and was bawling uncontrollably. Fast as lightning, Gru jumped out of bed and ran over to Edith, attempting to pick her up, when she flinched away from him with great force.

This wasn't the first time she'd flinched when he tried to pick her up.

Gru felt two conflicting emotions rise within him – sadness being the main one. But the other was a brooding, slowly growing anger. What had caused this? He must still have the adoption paperwork somewhere.

Edith looked up at Gru, her eyes wet and bloodshot. She seemed so small, so vulnerable to Gru, which was surprising to him. She had a kick-butt attitude which he couldn't help but admire. So to see her reduced to this was a shock. Upon recognising her new guardian, she reached her arms up to him, the same way Agnes did when she was upset. Gru obliged, noting how she didn't flinch away this time.

She buried her head into his shoulder, crying more silently than she had moments before. Gru whispered comforting words to the seven-year-old, which seemed to work, as her breathing became more steady and she stopped shaking.

"Edith, tell me what's wrong." Gru asked, after he thought she calmed down. But upon further inspection, she was asleep, tightly grasping onto his shoulder, as if it were her only protection from a rapidly approaching hurricane.

Not wanting to wake her, Gru used one of his arms to keep her on his shoulder, while walking downstairs to his filing cabinet. Curiosity had overtaken him, and the signs were adding up to something ugly in his head.

Upon locating the adoption papers, Gru took them back up to his bedroom. As he climbed back into bed, he delicately removed Edith from his shoulder, placing her next to him in the bed. Luckily she didn't wake up.

Gru opened the pack he had in front of him, intent on finding out a little backstory to his beloved girls. The first page was about Margo.

Full Name: Margo Mary Wildgrube

Age: 10

Birth Date: 18th January 2000

Gru didn't care as much for pointless information he already knew. He wanted to know why they were at Miss Hattie's in the first place. He scanned the page for more concrete information.

Admittance to residence stated above: 1st November 2006

Reason for removal/orphanage: Repeated Child Endangerment relating to exposure to illegal and/or dangerous substances.

Gru felt his fist clench. While he didn't know the exact details, he had a grim image forming in his mind which made him feel physically sick. No wonder Margo had grown up so fast, maybe too fast for her own good. But it still didn't answer all his questions, but asking her felt too personal at this stage. He hoped that she may eventually open up to him about her earlier childhood.

He turned to the next page, seeing Agnes' name.

Full Name: Agnes Ella Hunterson

Age: 4

Birth Date: 25th August 2005

Admittance to residence stated above: 22nd October 2007

Reason for removal/orphanage: Abandonment

Again, Gru felt anger flare up within him. He thought of Agnes. Sweet, pure, innocent Agnes, with big chocolate eyes and the cutest smile. How could anyone just drop her at an orphanage, especially at just two years old? It made him nearly crazy with rage. But there were some small mercies, as Agnes would probably never remember her parents or abandonment. Gru couldn't decide whether it was better or worse.

Turning the page again, this time to find the answers he dreaded the most.

Name: Edith Ashley Morrison

Age: 7

Birth Date: 22nd February 2003

Admittance to residence stated above: 10th May 2008

Reason for removal/orphanage: Child Abuse in the third degree (please turn over for more details)

If Gru didn't need these documents to prove he was their legal guardian, he would've torn them into a million pieces. His gaze drifted to Edith who was still asleep next to him. How could anyone do that to her?

It was starting to make sense. Child abuse was incredibly serious, and Edith had clearly taken several beatings in order for a nasty gash to not even squeeze a tear out of her.

Sometimes it's the wounds on the inside that hurt the most.

Gru really didn't want to turn over the page, but he felt he had to. He had a right to know what happened to Edith.

Further details:

Father (name: Richard Lorenz Morrison) charged with Child Abuse in the third degree, murder in the second degree and other assorted charges. Mother (name: Rosaline Gwyneth Morrison) found dead next to child with gunshot wound to the head and signs of beatings across the body. Child found with injuries similar to other cases of child abuse (scratches, bruises, broken bones, etc.). After two day manhunt, father found dead in unspecified forest, Virginia. Cause of death confirmed by autopsy to be suicide by gunshot.

Gru's whole perception of the girls had shifted. Before he saw them as just coming from Miss Hattie's Home for Girls, as if they had lived their entire lives there. But they hadn't. Terrible things had happened to them before, and this was the first place they'd ever felt loved in their lives. If Gru was certain on one thing, it was that no one would ever take that away.

"He hated me."

Gru was sucked back into reality from his prior state of outrage. He looked to Edith, who's stare was locked onto the papers which sat on Gru's lap. Gru quickly closed the pack, placing it on the bedside table furthest away from Edith. Disturbingly, her gaze remained fixated on where the papers had been.

"How are you feeling?" Gru asked, more worried about her than he could even begin to explain.

"He came home every night angry." Edith had either chosen to ignore Gru's question, or failed to hear it entirely. "He would just scream and yell at anything. He would kick and punch and fight and drink and scream and scratch and…"

Edith was descending into hysterics again, and it was breaking Gru's heart.

"Edith! Edith!" Gru was shaking the young girl, grasping her by the shoulders. "Look at me." Edith stopped, her breathing still heavy and shaky, as she looked into Gru's eyes. It was at that moment that Gru was unsure what exactly to say. He was used to being the man who made children cry, not the one to comfort them. She looked at him expectantly, her eyes wide and sad. He hoped the words would come to him, but nothing was coming to mind. "Leesten, keeten. You're safe now." He began not really knowing how to proceed. But all of a sudden, he decided to take a stab in the dark and see how it rolled. "Do you want to tell me about your dream?"

He felt her tense up, but she exhaled strongly in an attempt to calm herself down.

"He… he was hitting me, telling me no one loved me… and… Mom was… was…" she started sobbing again. Gru didn't need to hear anymore, as he could put two and two together.

"Edith." Edith looked up at Gru as he spoke her name. "I love you."

Edith buried her head into Gru's chest.

"I love you too." She sobbed, a mix between happy and sad tears spilling from her eyes.

Gru realised nothing else needed to be said. Those three little words contained everything he wanted her to know and understand. He loved her, and the best thing was is that she didn't question it.

This little girl needed him.

And there it was again.

The doubt.

The plan he'd been perfectly concocting in his mind all night started to lose some screws. She needed him. Any evil plan could result in her losing him.

And he couldn't stand it.

He was caught in an unending war between being a father and being a villain. Nothing, no plan in the world, could remove the risk.

But he needed to do this.

If he could pull this off, him and his family would be safe for the rest of their lives. Gru already had enemies in the villain world, some of whom would jump for joy upon the news that Gru was now a Dad. It could easily be used against him, putting the girls at serious risk.

And it could happen at any time.

Looking back at his much-adored middle child, Gru suddenly felt assured. He was doing this for them.

Pulling her closer to him, Gru and Edith shared that very precious moment where they truly connected on an emotional level for the first time.

Gru was now focussed on ensuring he kept a close eye on the pink-loving tomboy. She appeared tough, but that's only because she felt she had to. Her birth family had been smothered with pain and there was little in the way of love at Miss Hattie's. She was strong because she wouldn't have survived if she wasn't. But she didn't need to be anymore. He was hopeful that Edith would be able to come to him with any difficulties she had. Edith was just pleased that Gru was happy to listen to her woes, even when she felt at her most broken.

"Thank you, Dad." Edith said, shakily.

That was the first time Edith had ever called him Dad.

He couldn't help but smile despite the extreme sadness of the situation. He really was becoming the father figure in their lives, and he felt as if he'd been blessed with a second chance in life.

They'd all been given a second chance.

The two drifted into a peaceful slumber, Edith never letting go of Gru, and Gru's arms surrounding Edith.

When 8:30am rolled around, Margo and Agnes began to stir. Margo was properly woken with the sounds of Agnes singing.

"Unicorns I love them, unicorns I love them, uni- uni- unicorns, I love them!"

Margo hoped she never grew up.

As her vision came into focus, which was greatly assisted by the addition of glasses to her face, she saw Edith's bed was empty. Edith was known to be the last one to get up, and the last to go to bed. So, where was she?

Margo then felt her stomach rumble. She could neither hear nor smell food cooking like she usually could. Perplexed by this abnormal morning, Margo jumped out of bed, scooping up Agnes, who by now was just humming to the tune of her unicorn song.

"Where's Edith?" Agnes asked, in-between hums.

"Umm… I'm not sure." Margo replied, as they walked out of their bedroom and down the hall. Margo jumped slightly when she felt herself step into a puddle of sorts. This unusual puddle was just outside of Gru's room. Noticing that the door was shut, she knew that meant Gru was still asleep. Attempting to be as quiet as possible, she twisted the doorknob and poked her head in.

She immediately saw Edith, which made her sigh with relief. This wasn't an unusual occurrence, Edith was prone to nightmares. Thinking about it some more, she wondered how much Gru actually knew about their families. Putting Agnes down on the floor, she walked over to Gru's beside table, and was about to wake him up, if she hadn't seen the brown folder with 'Miss Hattie's Home for Girls' inscribed on the front.

Feeling her heart leap into her throat, she opened the file and was relieved to see that it was just their adoption papers. Her relief was short lived, however, as she soon realised she was reading her own page. She shuddered when she read it, a horrible reminder of why she went to that terrible place to start with. She did smile a little when she reached the very bottom of the page.

By signing below, you acknowledge and accept responsibility for all stated above, and the child above is now legally in your custody:

Mister Felonious Gru

Margo flipped a few pages, reading the ones for Agnes and Edith along the way, cringing at the morbid detail in Edith's. She and the other girls had never spoken to Gru about their families, in fact, she wasn't sure if he even knew the circumstances. Well until now.

He'd obviously read the papers in full.

She knew she couldn't hide it from Gru forever, but she didn't want him to ask her questions either. She would have to be the one to talk. She wasn't looking forward to it, but she knew if they were to connect and really be a family he would need to understand. They would talk later though, now wasn't the time.

Her stomach rumbled again. She needed Gru to get up and cook breakfast, because last time he laid in Edith had tried to cook bacon, and the kitchen nearly exploded when she poured the vial of acid into the pan instead of oil.

"Mr G – " Margo stopped mid-sentence. She had called him Dad the night before. She wasn't even aware she said it until she got back into bed. But it seemed so… right. Her biological father was never really her Dad. She wasn't even sure what traits were associated with being a 'Dad'. But she was certain that Gru was the closest she'd ever get – even if she was unconvinced that their emerging family was even thirty miles close to normal. Smiling to herself slightly, she shook Gru lightly. "Dad."

Gru began to stir, his eyes adjusting to being open again. Upon seeing Margo smiling down at him, he couldn't help but return it.

"Morneeng." Gru said groggily. Looking to check on Edith, he was relieved to see that she was still asleep.

"Another nightmare?"

"Yes. Has she had these often?" Gru had already assumed that Margo knew about Edith's family. They had spent so much time together in the orphanage it was almost impossible for them not to know a lot about each other.

"As long as I've known her." Margo sighed sadly. "Thank you for taking care of her. I mean, I'm perfectly happy to do it, but, y'know, it can get a little overwhelming sometimes."

Gru nodded understandingly. She had been taking care of them long before he entered the picture. He admired her a lot for taking up the caring, parental role while she must've been suffering so much as well.

"I hear you. But that's what Dad's are for, right?" He said, smiling back at her.

"Right." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking back over to Agnes, who was babbling away to herself about unicorns. "Okay, well, it's breakfast time. That's also what Dad's are for."

"Don't be cheeky!" Gru replied, his finger wagging at her, while she gave him a grin. "I'll be down in a meenete."

Turning to Edith, he hated to have to wake her up, but she couldn't sleep all day, as much as he was sure she would love too.

"Sweetheart." He called gently, giving her a little shake. She woke from her slumber, her eyes still a little red and puffy. "Morneeng, keeten. How are you feeleng?"

"Better." She said tiredly, sitting up. "Thanks for helping last night."

Gru smiled.

"That's what Dad's are for."

She returned his smile, getting out of bed, her seemingly uncontrollable energy returning in full force.

"Okay, I want French Toast!"

Gru got up and followed her, shaking his head, but the same smile still stuck to his face.

Him and the girls ate breakfast as normal, laughs and banter were commonplace, as always. Gru was washing up when Kevin came in, bringing him his morning newspaper.

"Hello Kevin." Gru chirped.

"Salut, Boss! S'tahw no eht adnega rof yadot?"

Gru's features lit up.

His plan!

Kevin registered his excitement with a clap.

"Od uoy evah a nalp, Boss?"

"Yes I do Kevin, assemble the Minions!"

"Woo-hoo!"

Kevin rushed off back down to the lair, shouting at Minions along the way.

"Hey! Boss sah dellac na ylbmessa!"

This was met with more cheers of excitement as the Minions rushed to the assembly point. As Gru emerged, their cheers only became louder.

The girls had followed the excited yellow creatures down to the lair, curious about what had caused this outburst of joy. Reaching a viewing deck, the girls gasped at the true size of their Dad's army, especially how devoted they all were.

"Hello everybody!" Gru began, and the cheers gradually died down. The girls waited in anticipation. "Now, I know the past few weeks have been a leettle rough, with the moon heist not exactly going to plan. But! I have come up with a new, even bigger plan!" The Minions began to rub their hands together and cackle mischievously. "Now, I know there have been rumours that we are queeteng being villains because of the gurls." The girls looked awkwardly at each other. Would he really do that? "I am here to say that that is untrue. However, you will understand why I now want us to be extremely careful." The Minions nodded in understanding. Margo was getting goosebumps. The air around them was full of anticipation, it was even getting her excited for her father's next diabolical plan. "So, I theenk I have found a way to soleedify our poseetion as the greatest villains forever!" This was met with a cheer from the Minions, along with Edith.

"I'm really starting to enjoy this villain stuff." She whispered to Margo and Agnes.

"So… what is the plan? Well, let me tell you that eet has been attempted so many times before… and no one has ever succeeded, until now!"

The hairs on the back of Margo's head stood up. His prior sentence was in complete contradiction of the latter. How could he do something every other villain had failed to do, but pledge that safety was his new number one priority?

"This will ensure the safety of you, me and the gurls, for as long as we all live! So… our next heist… will be…"

The Minions all went silent, frozen in their positions, waiting, watching their Boss with complete admiration and dedication.

"To be crowned King of the World!"

TO BE CONTINUED

I'M AWARE THAT WAS QUITE DARK – BUT I THINK TELLING THE BACKSTORY OF THE GIRLS IS IMPORTANT TO THE PROGRESSION OF THE STORY. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT, THOUGH!

SO, GRU'S CRAZY NEW PLAN IS TO CONQUER THE WORLD? WHAT? HOW? WELL, YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT TIME.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS STORY SO YOU KNOW WHEN I POST!

PLEASE DON'T BE SHY, LEAVE A REVIEW! IT REALLY HELPS ME OUT AS A WRITER!

NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!


	3. Chapter 3- The Grand Plan

CHAPTER 3- THE GRAND PLAN  
NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED, RIGHTS TO DESPICABLE ME ARE ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT’S AND UNIVERSAL’S.  
THIS FANFICTION IS ABOUT THE EVENTS BETWEEN THE END OF DESPICABLE ME AND THE BEGINNING OF DESPICABLE ME 2 – WHERE GRU HAS DIFFICULT CHOICES TO MAKE ABOUT HIS EXISTING LIVELIHOOD.  
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:  
I HOPE YOU’RE ENJOYING THE STORY SO FAR. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW SO I KNOW WHAT THE READERS THINK! I WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE IF YOU COULD SHARE THIS FANFICTION ROUND TO ANYONE YOU THINK WOULD GET A KICK OUT OF IT!  
“To be crowned King of the World!”  
Doctor Nefario scratched his head. This was new.  
The girls looked between each other in confusion. They had just assumed their Dad stole precious artifacts and monuments.  
Their thoughts, however, were drowned out by a sea of Minions screaming for their Boss. They were ecstatic, high-fiving each other and jumping up and down like corn being popped. Despite Doctor Nefario having qualms about Gru’s newfound ambitions, he couldn’t help but find the atmosphere contagious – which led to him clapping and cheering too.  
The girls were watching in awe. They’d never seen such an excitable room in their lives. Margo was starting to understand it all now – the rush that Gru got from being a villain. The air of euphoria around her made her feel every part of her body independently from the other. It was electric.  
By now, Edith and Agnes were also cheering, the atmosphere sweeping them up as well. They didn’t fully understand what was going on, but they were enjoying themselves, some Minions running up to them, cheering along with them, as well as sharing hugs and high fives. Margo was positively beaming now, now finding herself joining in with the joyous display.  
When the noise finally died down, Gru stood looking triumphantly at his Minions. Kevin lowered himself onto one knee, causing other Minions to do the same. Gru looked around, as the Minions fell silent, kneeling before him. Doctor Nefario, being physically unable to kneel, attempted a bow, but when that caused his back to make an unpleasant cracking noise, he opted to just sit down instead.  
Being at the back of the room, the wave of kneeling hit the girls last, but they only saw it fitting to join in. In a few short seconds, every Minion in the room was kneeling.  
“Ruoy Ytsejam.” Kevin smiled up at Gru, who smiled back.  
“Rouy Ytsejam!” Every Minion in the room chorused, looking up at their Boss with such love and admiration.  
“Your Majesty!” The girls shouted from the back of the room, attracting Gru’s attention. Standing up, Edith and Agnes waved at him. Margo, who also stood up, gave him a sarcastic curtsey, which made him roll his eyes, but smile up at them nonetheless.  
He was doing this for them.  
“So!” Gru’s continuation of speech catching everyone’s attention. “This weel be our most ambeetious plan yet. Eet will take a lot of planeeng, and I need everyone to be on their best behaviour! Is that clear?”  
“Yes Boss!” The Minions saluted in unison, the excitement still lively in their stomachs.  
“Good! I weel report back soon with more eenformation. But, for now, just keep doing what you are doing, and make me proud!”  
The cheers erupted yet again, as Gru walked back off the staging area.  
“Gru! Quite an announcement!” Doctor Nefario found Gru after his speech.  
“You theenk?” Gru asked, nervously.  
“Yes! The Minions loved it.” This was met by nods of approval and whooping from nearby Minions. “It’s good to see that brain of yours working again.”  
Gru smiled at his old friend, knowing he was right. Gru was back in business.  
“However, you’ve set us quite a monumental task.” Doctor Nefario’s expression changed from one of supportive encouragement to sceptical questioning. “Where do we even start? Taking over the world is every villain’s dream, but there is a reason none have ever achieved it.”  
“Leesten, Doctor…”  
“No, Gru, hold on. You know I’ll stand by your side no matter what. But I’m concerned that you’re overestimating our abilities.”  
“Hey, chillax.” Gru had perked up by now. He knew what the Doctor was like – he was old and sceptical. Once they had outlined a plan, they would be unstoppable. “When we pull together, we can do anytheeng. I’ve got a plan, which will get us control of all major wurld governments in less than seex weeks.”  
Doctor Nefario cocked an eyebrow.  
“Six weeks?” He was truly taken aback. How could you seize control of the world in just a few weeks? However, this was Gru at his finest – cunning, intelligent, decisive. A wicked smile spread across the old Doctor’s face. “I’m in. But I do have one more question. Why now?”  
Gru’s evil smile vanished. Looking over Nefario’s shoulder, he saw the girls playing dress up with Dave and Kevin, who were both currently sporting pink ballerina outfits, and dancing round clumsily. The girls were giggling at the little yellow creatures, for whom they’d grown quite affectionate.  
Doctor Nefario turned his head, and saw the same scene as Gru. It all suddenly made sense to the old man. If Gru ruled the world, he would be protected, and by extension, the girls. That way – he could be the world’s most notorious villain and keep the girls safe.  
Nefario would be lying if he said he didn’t regret sending the girls back. He’d also be lying if he said he had not become rather fond of them. Thankfully, he was a villain, so lying was second nature to him. If Gru found out, he’d never shut up about it. He’d probably make him help with their homework, or babysit, or some other long winded thing that Nefario would rather not do.  
But that was beside the point.  
Gru had a family to consider.  
And Nefario was willing to help.  
“I see.” Nefario said, trying to hide any emotion he felt. Again – trick of the trade. “We’ll meet later to outline the plan and see what preparatory actions we can take.” Gru nodded to his age-old friend.  
“Weel do. Don’t have any worries, old friend. Soon, we weel be ruling the world!”  
The Minions cheered yet again, and all the noise they were making was starting to give Gru an earache.  
“Okay, enough! You’re going to have hoarse voicees if you keep yelling like dat!”  
“yrroS, Boss.” A few of the Minions chirped before going back to their assigned duties.  
“Gru!” Agnes ran up to him, beaming at him like he was Santa Claus. He couldn’t help but return her infectious smile. It was a different experience for Gru to have someone who was actually excited to see him, as opposed to disappointed, afraid or angry. Agnes reached her arms out to him, indicating she wanted to be picked up, and Gru was all too happy to oblige.  
Resting her on his shoulder, Gru felt her place something on his head. He removed the unknown object from his head to see a disgustingly multi-coloured (although yellow seemed to be dominant), mishmash of play-doh, which vaguely resembled a muddy tire. Unable to determine what this creation was, he looked to Agnes with intrigue.  
“Well how are you going to be King without a crown?” Agnes beamed at him. Seeking to entertain her, Gru placed it back on his head.  
Margo and Edith were by his side now. They both bowed to him sarcastically.  
“Your Highness.” They said in unison, smirking.  
“Alright, very funny.” Gru retorted, rolling his eyes.  
Edith jumped up, running closer to him, and scaling his back like he was a complex rock formation, much to his disapproval.  
“So, when you’re King of the World, can I get a cool job?” she asked excitedly. “Can I lead the army? Can I be your bodyguard? Can I shoot people?”  
Gru was a little concerned by her destructive nature, but was slightly inspired by her willingness to be a villain. If anything, he was just happy to see she had perked up slightly since the earlier hours of the morning.  
“Uh… sure! You might not be the army chief, but you would make a good adviser.” He sought to appease her while toning down her naturally reckless attitude. Not that it mattered, she’d be too busy living a life of luxury to be worried about her role in Gru’s government.  
Besides, she’d probably launch a coup against him by the time she was fourteen.  
“Awesome!” Edith jumped up into the air, landing comfortably back on Gru. Well, comfortably for her anyway.  
“I want a gov-en-mint job!” Agnes pled, mispronouncing government sweetly.  
“Uh… you would make a good unicorn tamer!” Gru knew that wasn’t a government job, but she probably didn’t know any anyway.  
“Yes!” Agnes screeched into Gru’s ear, making him wince. “Unicorns I love them, unicorns I love them…”  
Agnes jumped down, singing her famed song about unicorns.  
“And me?” Margo asked, looking up at Gru expectantly. Gru smiled at his eldest daughter.  
“You would be the best successor I could ever ask for.”  
Margo’s eyes widened. Technically, he was correct. She was the eldest, so she would be next in line.  
If Gru’s plan succeeded, she would be Princess Margo, Heir to the Throne.  
All of a sudden, she felt uneasy. She would be directly involved.  
Gru sensed her uneasiness, and tried to cover his tracks.  
“I mean, only if you want to, I don’t want to force you into anytheeng!”  
While this did relax Margo a little, she knew there would be expectations placed on her as the oldest. Even though her and the other two girls would eventually all be grown up, Edith’s heart would never be in political leadership, and Agnes would always be too indecisive. It would have to be her.  
“Umm… I… do you think I’d be good?” Margo asked nervously. She was trying to imagine herself as Queen – but just couldn’t see it.  
“You would be amazeeng.” Gru replied confidently, causing her to gaze at him with a great amount of affection. “You’re smart, tough…” Gru stopped in his tracks. He himself was now starting to have doubts. Margo may be both tough and smart, but she was also kind. She was loving. Understanding. Could she ever be the successor to an evil dynasty? Gru didn’t want her to change either. She was exactly what he needed – kindness. He had no want to randomly freeze ray anyone anymore. He has no reason to bully or intimidate children anymore.  
And there it was again.  
The doubt.  
He could pack it all up, and just be their Dad.  
But it was too late now.  
“… you’re powerful!” Gru concluded. It wasn’t untrue, but he knew she would rule with a relatively light hand. It was in her nature to be understanding. And Gru knew, without a shadow of doubt, that Margo was a better person than he was.  
Which made him proud.  
“You would be purfect.” Gru said affectionately. But he was talking about two very different monarchs. Him as the cold, evil dictator, and her as the loving, compassionate leader.  
Gru very literally felt like the Devil that sat on the shoulder opposite the Angel – in this case, Margo.  
And it made him feel terrible.  
Maybe it didn’t have to be this way.  
Margo lit up. He thought she would be ‘perfect’, and she didn’t detect even a hint of a lie in his voice. Maybe she was cut out for this. Maybe she was the person people could look to for guidance, wisdom, and leadership.  
She ran up to him and hugged him tightly.  
“Love you Dad.”  
“I love you too, keeten.”

TO BE CONTINUED

BIT OF A SHORT CHAPTER – BUT I DON’T THINK IT NEEDED TO BE PARTICUARLY LONG. NEXT CHAPTER WILL INTRODUCE US TO SOME NEW CHARACTERS, SO THAT WILL BE FUN! STAY TUNED.  
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS STORY SO YOU KNOW WHEN I POST!

PLEASE DON'T BE SHY, LEAVE A REVIEW! IT REALLY HELPS ME OUT AS A WRITER!  
NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!


	4. Chapter 4- Meet the Competition

CHAPTER 4- MEET THE COMPETITION

NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED, RIGHTS TO DESPICABLE ME ARE ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT’S AND UNIVERSAL’S.  
THIS FANFICTION IS ABOUT THE EVENTS BETWEEN THE END OF DESPICABLE ME AND THE BEGINNING OF DESPICABLE ME 2 – WHERE GRU HAS DIFFICULT CHOICES TO MAKE ABOUT HIS EXISTING LIVELIHOOD.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:  
THANKS FOR THE POSITIVE REACTIONS SO FAR! PLEASE KEEP THE REVIEWS ROLLING IN AS I LOVE TO KNOW YOUR OPINIONS! I WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE IF YOU COULD SHARE THIS FANFICTION ROUND TO ANYONE YOU THINK WOULD GET A KICK OUT OF IT!  
LET’S PUSH ON.

Prince Tropicana hung his head in shame. Foiled. Again. He’d just attempted a rather daring crime to steal the Taj Mahal, and have himself crowned as King of India. But, as usual, he got caught by the police, while he was holding a pickaxe and a twenty foot rope. To his own detriment, he completely forgot the police would probably be monitoring the perimeter of India’s most famous religious building, and that to steal a building you would need more than garden tools.  
Needless to say, Prince Tropicana was not a good villain.   
At least in everyone else’s eyes.  
In his mind, he was a genius.  
“One day…” he grunted through gritted teeth. “I will rule this land, and all lands beyond! It is my birth right to rule!”  
This was also not true. He had no royal lineage at all, his family had been peasant farmers in rural India as far back as anyone could go.   
What he did have, however, was a very inflated ego.  
“Still, my glorious Palace will sit waiting for me to be crowned King!”   
His ‘palace’ was a two bedroom apartment in Bangalore, lined with poorly photoshopped images of his own head on Napoleon Bonaparte’s royal portrait, which was rigged up with computers and had a scent similar to that of dead fish.  
Needless to say, he was delusional.  
“I must now check my enhanced security systems!”   
One area he did not lack, however, was in security. Like any good ‘dictator’, his security was paramount. And that meant keeping tabs on ever other villain in the world.   
Another area he didn’t lack was in computer literacy. He was a technical wizard with access to every villain network around the world. He even hosted his own villain fan page, which made just enough for him to pay the rent for his ‘glorious and mighty palace’.  
Logging on, he hit the forums first.  
GRU STEALS THE MOON!  
article by the Burnt Barron of Berkshire  
published 3 hours ago  
I’m sure we all noticed the momentary disappearance of the Moon a few weeks ago. Every villain in the world gawked at such an impressive achievement, knowing that it must be one of our own. Well, we’ve contacted various sources here at TheGreatestVillians.org, and the evidence is conclusive.  
Gru stole the moon!  
The phony Prince felt his blood boil. He hated Gru. The pointy-nosed freak always had the upper hand over him. For instance, when Gru stole the Mona Lisa, he had just stolen an oil painting from an independent vendor in Detroit, which was on the second to last page of Villain Weekly. Gru stealing one of the world’s most iconic paintings hit the front page the next week. It was obvious – Gru was trying to one up him!  
“He’s just jealous of you, he’s just jealous.” The Prince pouted, before reading on.  
We have to say, from all of us here at TheGreatestVillains.org, congratulations to Gru on such a monumental achievement. One source, who asked not to be named, but was small, yellow, and wearing a badge which had the word ‘Lance’ written on it, told us that Gru constructed a rocket independent of bank funding, and relied on what he had lying around in his lair.   
“Pfft!” Tropicana snorted. “Get with the times, old man! I’ve been doing that my whole career. I didn’t need a fancy lab to steal this 1992 IBM computer, or the copy of Windows 98 from Walmart!”   
However, the Moon is back in the sky – mostly due to technical complexities. Even so, Gru has pushed the barriers of what it means to be a villain. If he can steal the Moon, what else can be done? We spoke to a number of up-and-coming villains, who said they were inspired to make leaps forward of their own, with plans to steal other major natural objects, such as Mount Fuji, Niagara Falls, Antarctica, among others. But the question on everyone’s mind remains unanswered: what’s next for Gru?  
Another snobbish snort erupted from the not-so-super villain. As if Gru’s future was of any significance when villain’s like him existed.  
Well, we consulted our leading psychic, the very gifted Psychic Sandra from Vancouver, Canada, who told us that she believed Gru was planning his biggest heist yet, but that she foresees Gru having to make tough choices along the way, including for matters of the heart. We should point out two things – first, last time we checked, Gru lacked any sort of heart whatsoever, and second, that Psychic Sandra has a prediction success rate of around 3%, so, to be honest, we’re not sure why we contacted her to start with.  
Tropicana’s eyes widened. With a success rate so similar to his, this had to be a good sign! Maybe she could give him more information.  
“Yes… I could foil Gru for once! Whatever he’s planning, I could be there to snatch it away from him!” Rereading the previous paragraph again, he kept coming back to one thing.  
Matters of the heart.  
“Gru wouldn’t be stupid enough to grow feelings would he?” A smug smile crossed his features. “Maybe… I could use… whatever that is, to my advantage.”   
Either way, we hope that Gru continues to have such success, and that all of you do too!  
Tropicana quickly scrolled through the rest of the webpage to see if there was anything else interesting, which there wasn’t.  
Why pyjamas are the new villain fashion!  
article by Kiera Overkill  
published 2 days ago  
“Stupid.”  
Job Listing: Need a scientist to help me take over the world!  
article by Eduardo Perez  
published 12 hours ago  
“Desperate.”  
How to cope with being an underwhelming villain.  
article by Dru  
published 39 minutes ago  
“Loser.”  
Before shutting down his computer, Tropicana booked himself the cheapest flight he could to Canada.  
He was going to end Gru, once and for all.  
A long way away, deep below the Mediterranean Sea, someone else had a bone to pick with Gru.  
Queen Atlantis slammed her fist against her throne. She had just received the official report from her advisers about the recent air tsunami.  
Being deep under the water, Atlantis was typically invulnerable to attack or natural disasters. However, following the recent disappearance, then reappearance of the Moon, tides across the Earth had been severely altered, twice. The water pressure was redistributed throughout the ocean, and Atlantis was hit with a mammoth air bubble, causing buildings to crumble, statues to topple, and food supplies to be compromised. Then, about an hour later, it all happened again when the Moon was returned to the sky, doubling the damage.  
Queen Atlantis was a tall, slender, attractive woman. The legend of Atlantis was tied up heavily in mythology, and her, as the Queen of Atlantis, was revered somewhat as a Goddess.  
But she was far from a Goddess.  
She was more like the Devil.  
Atlantis, after it’s sinking in the fourth century B.C., became vengeful and evil, hell bent on making the lives of humanity as painful as possible.   
Pompeii? Basic science.  
Bubonic Plague? Lab creation.  
Krakatoa? An accident, but it caused suffering nonetheless.  
Queen Atlantis was personally responsible for billions and billions of deaths throughout human history.   
She was a terribly cold woman, who desperately wanted more and more power. She would do whatever it takes to get her way.  
And now she knew that Felonious Gru had wrecked her city.  
Atlantis had extensive knowledge and research on almost every person of significance in the world, and best believe they had a lot on Gru. From every crime he’d ever committed, his family tree dating back to 588 A.D., all his assets and close associates, they knew everything there was to know about Felonious Gru.   
Queen Atlantis kept seething while she read the report. How could Gru be so stupid as to mess with Atlantis?  
But that didn’t matter.   
Revenge was imminent.  
Coming to the end of the excruciating report, the horrid Queen found something she found rather interesting.  
In recent weeks, the Gru household has played host to some new occupants. These new occupants are in the form of three young human females. While we are yet to identify them, we are starting to gather information on them. The one which appears to be the youngest is usually seen in dungarees, carrying a horse toy with a horn stuck to the centre of it’s forehead. The middle child is dressed usually in pink, sporting an equally pink hat. The oldest wears glasses and spends a lot of time looking after the youngest. While we are unsure of their origins or purpose, we have intelligence that Gru cares a great deal for these girls, and are, as it stands, our only potential weakness for Gru.   
The Queen allowed a frightening cackle to escape her lips, causing her two bodyguards stood behind her to shudder. She had no qualms about killing anyone, after all, people were just a commodity to her. But she was also aware of the power of holding loved ones captive, only to force their relatives to watch them die. She enjoyed watching them squirm, and cry, and beg for her mercy.   
There would never be any.  
One thing was for certain: Gru would pay with his girl’s blood.  
Queen Atlantis pressed her finger against the intercom button.  
“Poseidon!” she shouted down the intercom.  
“Yes, your Majesty?” a frightened voice squawked from the other end of the line.  
“Call the Royal Senate. I want to address the city directly.”  
“Yes, right away, your Majesty!”  
Lifting her finger, she traced the lines of the report to a picture taken with secret cameras of the girls playing outside of Gru’s house. She cackled again.  
“Bad luck, rodents.”  
Unaware of the plots being made against him and his family, Gru innocently tucked his girls into bed.   
“Night gurls, sleep tight.”  
Closing the door delicately behind him, Gru walked back down the stairs and into the living room. He was busy preparing his presentation for Doctor Nefario in their meeting tomorrow, and he had to streamline the plan as much as possible. If they could pull off phase one and two with no issues, then the rest would be child’s play.  
But Gru still felt uneasy. The look Margo had given him when he told her he wanted her to succeed him rocked him to the core. He hadn’t even considered the girl’s futures. He was a supervillain, but they weren’t. Margo would grow up and be made to do something her heart would never truly be in. She was too kind and understanding to be a true villain. Edith, while she had potential to be a powerful villain, was too soft at heart. Especially learning what he recently had about her family, she would never truly be comfortable as an evil villain. Agnes was young, so could easily be corrupted and sent to the dark side. Throw out the unicorns and replace them with guns, bombs and sinister plots. But Gru didn’t want to. Agnes was so sweet, innocent, and lovable. He would never be able to bring himself to dirty her with villainy. It was wrong.  
Gru was hit with a wave of realisation.  
He didn’t want the girls to end up like him.  
He wanted Margo to be an academic, to go and be President or something. Edith would probably end up in some kind of contact sport, worshipped by ambitious little girls just like her in the future. It was too early to tell what Agnes would do with her future, but he definitely knew it wouldn’t be villainy.   
How could he be a role model for them, and give them the future they deserved, when he was going to tear the world they knew into shreds in the name of his own selfish greed.  
And there it was again.  
The doubt.   
Gru could’ve ripped up the papers there and then. Stopped being a villain. Get the Minions and Doctor Nefario to either resign or convert to good. Every fibre of his being was telling him to give up.  
But he just couldn’t.  
He’d come too far.  
Something was stopping him, but he had no idea what.   
Just then, he felt something approaching him from the darkness of the corridor. Logic told him that his house had some of the most advanced security known to man, but the knowledge that the three girls were upstairs threw logic to the dogs. He needed to protect them. As this figure grew closer, Gru realised only two of his girls were upstairs.  
Agnes stood in the doorway, clutching the unicorn toy he had won her at Super Silly Funland.  
“Whatcha doing?” she asked innocently, way too lively for the hour it was.  
“Workeeng.” Gru replied. “And yoo should be sleepeeng!”   
“Can’t.” She walked closer to him, crawling onto the crocodile couch, then into his lap. By the way she eyed the darkness in the corners of the room, Gru knew she was having some childish fears, and needed some TLC.   
He was only too happy to oblige.  
Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed the top of her head, grabbing a blanket which was draped on the couch, placing it over the both of them.   
Agnes seemed to loosen up, giving Gru a sleepy smile while getting herself comfortable.  
“Love you, Daddy.”  
Gru felt his stomach explode in his chest. All three of his girls had called them Dad now… they were really coming together as a family.  
And he was so proud to call them his daughters.  
“I love you too, honey.”  
Gru had initially intended to take Agnes back to bed when she had dropped off, but he felt the wave of sleepiness wash over him too. He felt his eyelids slowly shut, but did nothing to prevent it.   
He was happy.  
A sudden shaking woke Gru, only to see the three girls tied to a pole in the middle of the living room. They were screaming for him, but, for some reason, he couldn’t move.   
In the shadows, a man and a woman, whom Gru couldn’t make out, were whispering to each other. Then, they both began to laugh the most terrifying of laughs. The man snapped his fingers, and Gru stood up against his own will, his hand raising up as well.   
There was a gun in his hand.  
‘No, no, no!’ Gru desperately tried to loosen himself from whatever trance he was under, but nothing worked. He walked closer to the girls, turning the safety off on the weapon, readying it to fire.  
“Kill them.” The woman said coldly.  
‘NO!’ Gru screamed in his own mind.  
“Dad! Dad! DAD!” The girls screamed, but Gru pulled the trigger anyway.  
“Dad!”  
Gru awoke with a start, his vision blurry in the late-June early morning sun.   
It was just a dream.  
“Dad?” Margo was eyeing him curiously, noticing the sweat dripping down his forehead, along with his heavy breathing and haunted expression. “Um… are you okay?”  
“Uh, wha-?” Gru hadn’t quite readjusted to reality yet. Why had he dreamt that? It felt so vivid, so real. “Uh… yeah I’m fine.”  
“Did you have a bad dream?” Edith asked, clambering up next to him.   
“Uh… yeah.” Gru didn’t have the energy to lie, and was still in shock.  
“Did anyone die?” Edith asked, way too excitedly for the true context of the nightmare.  
“Umm… no.” Gru had regained most of his ability to think by then. This was definitely not a dream to share with the girls.  
“Anyway,” Margo gained his attention. “Doctor Nefario’s been asking for you for the past twenty minutes.”   
Gru’s eyes darted to the clock hanging on the wall.  
It was nearly nine in the morning.  
“I’m late!” Nightmare quickly forgotten, Gru jumped up, running over to the elevator which took him down to the lair.  
“What about pancakes?” Edith asked.  
“Just have cereal!” Gru shouted back, beginning his descent.  
“Ew! It’s like pencil shavings!” Edith stuck her tongue out, but Gru was out of earshot by then.  
Gru rushed through the lair, accidently knocking over a few Minions in the process. Eventually, he reached a disgruntled Doctor Nefario.  
“Came in late today did you?”  
“I’m here now.” Gru panted, out of breath. “Let’s just start the meeteeng.”

TO BE CONTINUED

SO, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF PRINCE TROPICANA AND QUEEN ATLANTIS? THEY’RE NOTHING BUT TROUBLE, CAN GRU TAKE THEM ON AND KEEP THE GIRLS SAFE? WELL, YOU’LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. WHAT ABOUT GRU’S NIGHTMARE? JUST A SIMPLE FEAR… OR SOMETHING MORE SINISTER? AGAIN, YOU’LL HAVE TO WAIT. HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER!  
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS STORY SO YOU KNOW WHEN I POST!  
PLEASE DON'T BE SHY, LEAVE A REVIEW! IT REALLY HELPS ME OUT AS A WRITER!  
NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!


	5. Chapter 5- The Evil Scheme

CHAPTER 5- THE EVIL SCHEME

NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED, RIGHTS TO DESPICABLE ME ARE ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT'S AND UNIVERSAL'S.

THIS FANFICTION IS ABOUT THE EVENTS BETWEEN THE END OF DESPICABLE ME AND THE BEGINNING OF DESPICABLE ME 2 – WHERE GRU HAS DIFFICULT CHOICES TO MAKE ABOUT HIS EXISTING LIVELIHOOD.  
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: 

SO, CHAPTER FIVE ALREADY? WE’RE RIPPING THROUGH THIS FANFICTION QUICKLY! LUCKILY, WE’VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO YET, SO IF YOU’RE ENJOYING IT SO FAR THEN LOOK FORWARD TO PLENTY MORE IN THE FUTURE! PLEASE KEEP THE REVIEWS ROLLING IN AS I LOVE TO KNOW YOUR OPINIONS! I WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE IF YOU COULD SHARE THIS FANFICTION ROUND TO ANYONE YOU THINK WOULD GET A KICK OUT OF IT!

ANYWHO, LET’S CRACK ON WITH THE SHOW!

Gru, much to Doctor Nefario’s annoyance, needed time to catch his breath. As he slumped in his chair, breathing deeply, Nefario couldn’t help but shake his head. Gru had never been late for anything they’d ever done, ever. In fact, it was usually in Gru’s nature to turn up early, set up, make coffee and fend off Kyle all at once. Doctor Nefario chose to give his ally the benefit of the doubt, but sincerely hoped that it would not become a regular occurrence.  
As a sufficient amount of air returned to the villain’s lungs, Gru hoisted himself out of his chair, producing rolled up blueprints from the inside of his jacket. Setting them up, Gru pressed a green button on the wall, and the main door to the meeting room opened, and Gru’s Minion Executive Team walked in, definitely dressed for the occasion. Each one was sporting a suit with a blue tie, inscribed with the ‘G’ branding. The team consisted of Kevin, Stuart, Dave, Lance, Mel and Jerry. The meeting room was relatively small but long, with a long table situated in it’s centre, with eight chairs surrounding it. Doctor Nefario sat at one end, Gru stood, readying himself for the presentation at the other, while the Minions sat in the middle. Once everyone was settled, Gru pressed the orange button. The room’s internal lights switched on, and the windows into the room were shuttered automatically and soundproofed. Gru looked out at his top team, who were all looking back at him. It was time to begin.  
“So, as you all know, we are preparing to take over the wurld!” Gru began, as if that was a normal sentence to say. “And you are all curious as to how we are going to pull this off, no?”   
“Ylno ecnis uoy decnuonna ew erew gniod ti.” Mel replied, curtly.  
“Ey, Mel, tel mih kaeps!” Kevin snapped, which was met with a death glare by Mel.  
“Don’t T’nod ekat taht enot htiw em, Kevin!”   
“Mel, tsuj thus pu!” Stuart, who was sat next to Mel, gave his fellow Minion a slap.  
The freefall from there happened very quickly, as Mel proceeded to take a briefcase that was sat on the table, and mercilessly try to stuff Stuart into it. Kevin then picked up Lance and launched him at Mel, knocking both Mel and Stuart off their respective chairs. Jerry and Dave dived under the table, hugging each other for comfort, desperate not to be stuffed into a cramped space or be used as a projectile.  
“Enough!” Gru’s outburst caught everyone’s attention, and the Minions immediately stood down. “We are trying to conquer the wurld here, and you are behaving like babiees!”  
The Minions looked down to the ground in regret.  
“I could always hire another Executive Team…” Gru mused. He was bluffing, but they didn’t know that. Despite their childish antics, they were the most capable and intelligent Minions. Hiring Minions like Phil or Donny would’ve been like signing a death wish. All of the Minions frantically shook their heads, apart from Stuart, who was still trying to free himself from the briefcase. Mel grabbed Stuart by the legs and hoisted him up, patting him on the head as if to apologise.  
“Yrros, Boss.” The Minions said in unison, shamefully.  
“Good. Now, can we get on weeth the plan?” The Minions nodded, and Gru continued.  
“So, the beeg question is, how do we get every country in the wurld to hand over their power to us?”  
The Minions looked at each other, then back to Gru.  
“Emyam fi ew evig meht gelato?” Dave answered innocently, causing other Minions to snicker at the youngest one present. Gru’s harsh stare made them stop.  
Gru had always been protective of the younger Minions, as they were more prone to being bullied by the older ones. Gru knew all too well what that felt like, so always sought to intervene. As silly and frustrating as Dave could sometimes be, he was intelligent, capable and brave.   
“Good suggestion Dave,” Gru gave the young Minion a comforting smile. “But we need sometheeng a leetle more complex than that.” Gru unrolled the first blueprint, causing the Minions and Nefario to lean in, their interest growing by the second.   
The blueprint was rather basic, it had a map of the world, with all the countries outlined, but was littered with arrows and notes around the side. Certain countries were labelled: United States of America, Russia, China, United Kingdom, France, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea. Nefario knew his politics, these were a collection of the most powerful nations in the world, but surely if Gru was highlighting all powerful nations, he would’ve included Germany, or Japan, or Saudi Arabia. What linked all these countries?  
“Sometheeng exeests today that deednt exist for most of human heestory.” Gru continued, enjoying discussing his evil plan. “The planet now has the capabilities to destroy itself.” Pulling out the next blueprint – it all clicked in Nefario’s head.  
The blueprint was of a standard nuclear warhead.  
United States of America, Russia, China, United Kingdom, France, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea – all the countries which possessed nuclear weapons.  
“Using the nuclear weapons of every nuclear power on Earth, we will seize control of every country in the world!”  
“Umm… Gru? Isn’t nuking the entire planet going to be quite counter-productive if we’re trying to rule it afterwards?” Nefario wasn’t entirely sure where Gru was going with this. He was all in to rule the world and cause billions of casualties, but he didn’t really fancy living in a radioactive wasteland.  
“We are not going to nooke the entire planet, Doctor.” Gru replied, rolling his eyes as if Nefario should’ve known that already. “We are going to use them as leverage. In retoorn for not nooking their country, they will give us complete control over it!”   
“Tahw fi yeht t’nod ylpmoc?” Kevin asked, taking down notes on his notepad.  
“Well, we’re not going to nooke the whole country.” Gru stated empirically. “Maybe just a few industrial areas, military sites, yada yada yada – I woold prefer if we avoided the cities, it will be easier to govoorn if we haven’t killed millions, but we keep the threat in the air. If they didn’t comply the foorst time, they will the second.”   
This seemed to answer Kevin’s question, as he nodded and began to write again.   
“We will need to invest massively in our offensive capabilities. Doctor, I’m going to need one hundred thousand military robots.”   
“A hundred thousand?” Nefario gawked. “What do we need a hundred thousand for?”  
“For keeping control of the wurld?” Gru replied, as if it should’ve been obvious.   
“But what do we need a hundred thousand of those for?”   
Gru eyed his scientist friend, confusion marked on his face. Even after all these years, he still asked the strangest questions.  
“I just told you! For keeping control of the wurld! And I want to see the prototype before we build them all!”   
“Okey-dokey, keep your pants on.” Nefario replied, writing down his instruction. Unfortunately, the instruction he was given was rather different to the one he heard, but no one was looking to check his work.  
“Alright, so, once we have deployed the robots, they weel do most of the wurk for us, pooting down rebellion and things like that. We will just need to choose somewhere to be our capital, build a big castle and then we will rule the world!”   
Unlike the rambunctious applause of the other Minions, the Executive Team stood and clapped enthusiastically. Internally, they wanted to scream and jump for joy, but they were in an important meeting and wanted to appear professional for the sake of their jobs.   
“Hold on, hold on, hold on.” Nefario said, and the Minions stopped clapping. “We seem to be missing a vital part of the plan. The nuclear weapons of any country will be protected behind the most powerful firewalls and will be almost impervious to any attempt at hacking them. How exactly are we supposed to gain access to them?”  
Nefario expected Gru to not have an answer to that question, but when Gru’s smile extended from ear to ear, Nefario couldn’t help but smile too.   
When Gru had a plan, it was always complete.  
“This is the most genius part of the plan!” Gru stated, excitedly, as he unrolled a third blueprint. This one appeared more complex, seeming to consist of layers of code and binary numbers. “I have analysed that every two weeks, every country in the wurld changes their nuclear codes. The codes are used to fire the nookes. However, it has to be done manually in each country’s major military headquarters, and I have calculated that for around fifteen meenutes, the seestem which holds the codes is left wide open, and is extremely vulnerable to attack. The plan is simple. We sneak into each of the headquarters, install a virus into the seestem, which will give us remote access to the nookes and allow us to set our own launch code.” Gru carried on smiling as he unrolled a fourth blueprint, which had the schematics of a seemingly large building. “Then, in five weeks and five days, when the United Nations is meeting in New York, we weel break into the building, take all the wurld leaders hostage and force them to give us power over every country in the wurld!”  
The Minions, who previously hadn’t wanted to cheer loudly, now found themselves incapable of resisting the urge. They stood up on their chairs and started to chant in their mishmash language.   
Doctor Nefario was impressed. This was a well thought out plan, with direction and magnitude.   
But it was still a monumental task.  
“Okay, with the eenformation I have gathered, the UK will be changing their nuclear codes in two days’ time. China will be changing theirs in three, both India and France will be changing theirs in five, the US in six, and North Korea in seven. I want thirty Minions each assigned to each one, That will be six missions this week. There are six of you, so I will assign you each a job. Lance, I want you to take thirty Minions to London and infiltrate the army headquarters at Marlborough Lines.”  
Lance saluted his Boss, excited to be headed back to London after so many years. He might check in on the Queen while he was there.  
“Stuart, I want you to take fifty Minions to Beijing and break into the Central Military Commission. You should take some high powered weapons with you, breaking in will not be easy.”   
Stuart also saluted, readying himself for the challenge.   
“Jerry, I want you to take another thirty Minions to New Delhi and get into the Secretariat Building. Make sure to take night veesion equipment as it will be a night job.”  
Jerry, like the two others, saluted.  
“Okay, Dave, I want you to take thirty Minions to Paris and sneak into the Hexagone Balard. It shouldn’t be too difficult, it’s a midday job and the guards weel probably be haveeng lunch.”  
“Yes, Boss!” Dave saluted, trying to ignore the looks he got from other Minions for supposedly having the easiest job, being one of Gru’s favourites and all.  
However, looks were now exchanged between the two conflicting leaders of the Minions, Kevin and Mel.   
“Kevin, I want you to take a hundred Minions and access the US Army Headquarters in the Pentagon in Washington D.C.”  
Kevin’s face dropped. He quickly rectified that problem with a salute, but he couldn’t help but feel dejected. Had Gru really given Mel the most difficult job?  
The Minions, contrary to everyone’s beliefs, were well brushed up on their knowledge of geopolitics. They knew that breaking into North Korea was borderline impossible, accessing, hacking and stealing their nuclear weapons was an entirely different question.  
It was every villain’s dream.  
And Gru had given it to Mel.  
“Mel, you have the toughest job of all. I need you to take fifteen specially trained Minions to North Korea, tonight, and try to locate their nooklear weapons. You will have to stay out of sight at all times. If my calculations are correct, you will seven days to find them, install the virus, then get out. We can protect you somewhat, and our communications will be untraceable, but you steell need to be very careful! Are you up for the challenge?”  
“Rof uoy, Boss, I lliw tpmetta eht elbissopmi.” Mel smiled at Gru, saluting him.  
Mel was elated. Gru had always considered Mel the toughest of the Minions, despite the occasional slip-up. But now he really wanted to test her. Invading North Korea’s military was the most daring feat done by any villain ever, and Mel was being given a golden opportunity to prove herself to Gru.  
He would not be disappointed.  
“Thank you. I will report when everyone is back for our next jobs. The virus is currently being created by the Minions in the computer lab, so try not to deesturb them today. Mel, I will give you a USB with the virus before you leave tonight. The rest of you I will get it before you leave as well.”  
The Minions nodded, understanding what their Boss had told them.   
“Good. Any questions?”   
Dave shyly raised his hand, looking back and forth to the other Minions. He didn’t want to be bullied again.  
“Dave?” The young Minion turned his head to see Gru looking expectedly at him. Dave was terrified of asking a stupid question, but felt the need to ask his question anyway.  
“Umm… nac ew ekat sesiugsid htiw su? Fi ew tsuj dekool ekil Minions, elpoep thgim teg suoicipsus dna eceip sgniht rehtegot.”  
“Well… that’s a great question Dave!” Dave looked up instantly. He couldn’t remember asking a good question ever in his life. “Yes you can. In fact, I theenk we still have all the suits from when we did the oil heist.”   
The Minions cackled, remembering one of the best heists they’d ever pulled off. They had travelled to Saudi Arabia, and stolen a third of all the country’s oil, then sold it to other villain organisations for a massively inflated price, especially when the price of oil rapidly shot up following the shortage they had caused.  
“They should be useful.” Doctor Nefario agreed.   
“Oh, oh, oh! I evah a noitseuq!” Lance jumped up and down, eager to ask his question.  
“Go on, Lance.”  
“Era uoy gnimoc htiw su?”  
Gru dropped his head slightly. He knew he couldn’t come with them on big heists like these anymore. He had to be at home with the girls. The Minions were far more durable than he was – and if he got injured, the girls would be sent right back to Miss Hattie’s. As guilty as he felt making the Minions do all the nitty gritty for him, he knew he was doing the right thing for his family.   
“Uh… no, sadly not, Lance.”  
“Awww…” All the Minions seemed to echo each other.  
“Yhw ton?” Stuart asked.  
“Uh…” Gru felt himself getting slightly nervous. He didn’t want to lie to the Minions, but couldn’t reasonably tell them the truth either. “Well, I’m getting a leetle too old to do theengs like this all the time.” That was far from the truth. He was far from in shape, but decades of villainy had made Gru more athletic and nimble than he appeared. The Minions were still eyeing him curiously, and he knew he had to give it to them straight. “And… I need to be here to look after the gurls. They’re only young, and need someone to take care of them.”   
The Minions were surprisingly understanding, all of them nodding in agreement.   
“Tub, woh lliw uoy wonk fi eht nalp dekrow?” Dave asked.  
“The villain suits have a beelt-in camera, so me and Doctor Nefario will be able to watch the heists and guide you from here.”   
The Minions all seemed in agreement. Doctor Nefario couldn’t fault the plan. Gru was anxious to get going.   
“So, if that’s everything?” Gru paused for just a moment, in case anyone had any further questions. No one raised their hand or started to speak, so Gru assumed that no one did. “Okay, well then that’s meeting over.” He pressed the green button again, and the room unlocked itself. The Minions stood up, grabbing their notes, and took off to concoct their plans.   
“Impressive display, old boy!” Doctor Nefario slapped Gru on the back, causing Gru to spray the coffee he’d just put in his mouth all over Kevin. Kevin, who was frustrated enough, just kept walking, muttering to himself.  
“Thank you, Doctor.” Gru replied.  
“I’ll get working on those robots right away and I’ll have a prototype for you this afternoon.”   
“Good, make it quick! We are on a time crunch!” Gru huffed, storming out of the meeting room, desperate to spend the morning with the girls.  
“Alright, don’t get your knickers in a twist.” Nefario shook his head, following him out. Rereading his instruction, he couldn’t help but be confused. “Why does he want a hundred thousand of them?”   
Out of all the weird and wonderful things Doctor Nefario had ever invented, a decent hearing aid was not one of them.

TO BE CONTINUED

SO, GRU’S PLAN HAS BEEN SET INTO MOTION! BUT WHAT ABOUT PRINCE TROPICANA AND QUEEN ATLANTIS? WHEN WILL GRU REALISE THE THREAT THEY POSE? STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT!   
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS STORY SO YOU KNOW WHEN I POST!

PLEASE DON'T BE SHY, LEAVE A REVIEW! IT REALLY HELPS ME OUT AS A WRITER!

NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!


	6. Chapter 6- Psychics and Politics

**CHAPTER 6- PSYCHICS AND POLITICS**

**NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED, RIGHTS TO DESPICABLE ME ARE ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT'S AND UNIVERSAL'S.**

**THIS FANFICTION IS ABOUT THE EVENTS BETWEEN THE END OF DESPICABLE ME AND THE BEGINNING OF DESPICABLE ME 2 – WHERE GRU HAS DIFFICULT CHOICES TO MAKE ABOUT HIS EXISTING LIVELIHOOD.**

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:**

**CHAPTER SIX! I’M VERY PLEASED WITH HOW THIS FIC IS GOING SO FAR. WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE SOME MORE REVIEWS, THOUGH! I WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE IF YOU COULD SHARE THIS FANFICTION ROUND TO ANYONE YOU THINK WOULD GET A KICK OUT OF IT!**

**LET’S ON WITH THE SHOW!**

Prince Tropicana shivered in the cold Canadian evening. He’d never been to Canada before, so wasn’t entirely sure of his way around. But, from all the information he could gather about this Psychic Sandra, she lived within a two hundred metre radius of where he was at that moment. The wannabe villain realised that wasn’t good enough. He was in the middle of Vancouver, one of Canada’s biggest cites. It was more than possible that thousands of people lived within the area he had to cover.

Groaning, he scanned his GPS device, knowing he was going to have to knock on everyone’s door, like a girl scout selling cookies. At least the Canadians were considered friendly.

Just as he was about to make his way up to the first house, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

Turning around, he saw an elderly black woman, sporting beads, bracelets and all other kinds of unusual attire. She was wearing some kind of silk robe, and he wondered how she hadn’t frozen to death yet.

“Uh… can I help you?” Tropicana asked, hoping she would go away so he could begin his search.

“You were looking for me.” The woman replied, her lips offering a small smile.

“Umm… no, but I was –“ He stopped dead in his tracks.

“Psychic Sandra for you, Prince Tropicana.”

The phony prince nearly fainted. How did she do that?

“How did you find me?” He asked, intrigued.

“When you have spiritual power, you can find almost anything.” She responded, waving her arms around like a witch casting a spell. “Well, don’t just stand out here in the cold. Come to my realm with me.”

“Your rea-“

Tropicana had no time to react, as the psychic snapped her fingers and he felt himself being stretched. Specifically, a hundred and forty-four meters southwest.

The feeling may have only lasted a matter of seconds, but it was enough to ensure he vomited after he felt himself land on his stomach.

“Oh, that does sometimes happen.” Psychic Sandra said, nonchalantly.

The prince remained dazed for a few seconds, unable to fully comprehend exactly what just happened.

Surely all this sorcery stuff wasn’t real?

It didn’t matter. He needed her help.

“I know you do.” She said, massaging a crystal ball which sat on a round table.

Again, Tropicana was stunned. Could she hear what he was thinking?

“Yes I can, and would you stop addressing yourself in the third person? It’s incredibly distracting.”

Tropicana was not expecting this.

He was a man of technology, and science. He had discarded all this ‘magic’ nonsense when he was a child.

But after today, maybe his opinion would change.

“So, what is it you want? Not many people have had the determination to track me down.” The psychic was addressing him directly now, eyeing him curiously.

“I need help taking someone down.” He replied, sitting up, realising he’d just spent the better part of a minute staring directly into his own vomit.

“And this someone… are they close to you?”

“No. But they’ve been getting in the way at the top of the villain world for too long, and I want to see them removed.”

“Ahh… so you seek to halt Felonious Gru.” Psychic Sandra responded with a smile.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“Many people have all had the same request. Even recently, I received a visit from a man in orange. He was too impatient, however. Lacked vision.”

Psychic Sandra was back to massaging the famous fantasy object which sat on the table, the smile not leaving her face.

“However, it has not been possible. Gru is too dangerous of a target, even for me. The extent of his knowledge and arms makes him an unstoppable force…”

Tropicana hung his head. Was Gru really too powerful to defeat? He knew he had to try, with or without her help – but it would’ve been helpful to know exactly what he was getting himself into beforehand. Even formulating a plan would’ve been useful.

He turned away, knowing he would have to come to terms with the fact he was in this alone.

“… until now.”

Tropicana did an immediate 180 turn, hope returning to his eyes.

“So, something has changed?” He asked, walking closer to the table.

“Yes… I can see it. Gru has… dependencies… of some description.”

Psychic Sandra closed her eyes and placed her hands firmly on the crystal ball. She appeared to be concentrating very hard, her eyes scrunched up, as if she were trying to focus.

“Join me.” She said, motioning her head to the crystal ball.

Tropicana didn’t believe all this psychic hoo-ha. In fact, the only reason he hadn’t walked already was because he was desperate.

Seeking to humour her, he placed his hands on the ball.

All of a sudden, his vision clouded over, and was replaced with a smokescreen, changing colours between pink, green and blue.

“What is this place?” He asked in awe. He couldn’t even feel his body anymore. He had been absorbed into this strange, smoky dimension. He felt like he was floating, like all the worries in the world had just disappeared.

“This is where I can see what needs to be seen.” Psychic Sandra answered cryptically. “Things are starting to take form already.”

“Really? How so?”

“The dependencies are in the form of pink, green and blue… but I need to see more…”

Tropicana felt the area around him squeeze slightly, and the colours all seemed to be appearing at once. Gradually, they floated around the space, the pink, green and blue smoke seeming to come closer together.

“Yes… there it is.”

The three colours took the shape of three figures, each one being one of the colours. As the figures became more coherent, Tropicana could begin to make out that it was three children. When the figures finally took shape, he was correct.

“Children?” He asked, perplexed. Gru was one of the most dangerous and powerful villains known to man, so children was one of the last things he expected. “Since when did Gru have children?”

“The spirits do not answer for when’s and how’s, they just answer for the who’s and what’s.”

Tropicana felt his head spinning. All of this spirit stuff was beginning to make him feel queasy. On top of that, Gru has kids? Not what he was thinking in the slightest.

“Ah… more is taking shape…” A dark, black cloud descended from somewhere above them. At this point, Tropicana was unconvinced there was even an up or down. It just felt like the space around them was infinite, and direction was irrelevant.

The dark cloud also took the form of a figure, before it split into two. One of the figures moved over to the girls, and the other moved to stand opposite them. When the two new figures gained some clarity, they both appeared to be Gru. However, there was something different about the two Gru’s… the one stood alone emitted a dark aura, you could feel the evil pulsating off of him. Unzipping his jacket, the evil Gru pulled out to spherical objects, one being the Moon, and the other being the Earth, before laughing ominously.

The other Gru was almost the complete opposite. He gave off a cool, relaxed air, and had a permanent smile etched on his face. As the smoky figures of the three girls noticed him, they floated to him, and the four of them embraced in a heart-warming display of affection.

Tropicana looked on, confused beyond belief. If this was symbolism, he failed to understand it.

“Alas, it has been seen.”

The figures faded away into darkness, and Tropicana felt himself return to the regular world, hid body regaining feeling. His sight returned, and he saw Psychic Sandra smiling at him.

“I don’t get it.” He said, sounding stupid in his response. The Psychic’s smile vanished, replaced with one of confusion. She had worked with some stupid people, but if he couldn’t understand what he’d just seen, then he was a new kind of stupid.

“What’s there not to get?” She replied, her voice always calm and composed. “Gru is currently experiencing withdrawal symptoms.”

“Withdrawal symptoms?” He asked, confused. “When did he… withdraw?”

Psychic Sandra sighed. Was she really going to have to spoon feed this to him?

“Gru has clearly found a new life. One which he believes he prefers to his old life of villainy. However, for whatever reason, he wants to have both. So, he is plotting a grand scheme to allow him to have both. I’ve seen this happen before. Villains find love, have children, take up painting, you name it, I’ve seen it – it’s all part of the process. Their schemes are usually doomed to failure – and everything they have falls apart as a result.”

Tropicana’s eyes lit up with joy. Gru had turned soft. But, it still wasn’t right. He couldn’t let Gru destroy himself, especially when there were perfectly capable villains such as himself who were more than happy to do it.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Psychic Sandra replied to his internal thoughts.

“I want to be the one to do it. I could make my name as the man who ended Gru’s career!”

Psychic Sandra smiled at his optimism. He may be stupid, incapable and incompetent, but, with some guidance, he could pull this off.

“Very well. There is one thing you can do that will destroy Gru.”

Tropicana couldn’t keep his eyes off her. He was alive with energy and was ready to leap into action at any moment.

“Kill the girls.”

He gulped.

Tropicana was not a good villain. He was considered one of the worst. He had a 2.6% success rate over thirteen years of villainy. However, he had morals. He had never killed anyone before. His heists, however poorly planned or poorly executed they may be, were always done with a zero casualty mindset.

Now he was being asked to murder three children.

Psychic Sandra was wearing a smile which was way too calm and relaxed for what she had just asked him to do. Sensing his reluctance, she sought to reassure him.

“Kill the girls, and you will have destroyed Gru. Kill the girls, Gru will lose all hope and motivation. Kill the girls, you will be revered as one of the greatest villains of all time.”

Tropicana slowly took in this information. He couldn’t help but consider it. What were three children compared to his future? He had never really suffered with a guilty conscious, but something just felt wrong.

He knew he couldn’t do it.

“Is there… uh… any other options?” He asked, tentatively. He really didn’t want to kill the girls, no matter how much he hated Gru. He wasn’t sure he could live with himself if he did it.

If he did it…

“Could… we get someone else to do it?”

Psychic Sandra took in his question. Was he really too weak to kill three children? Her thought didn’t last long, however, as she felt inspired all of a sudden.

“I have an idea…” she said, her smile still too calm for the situation at hand for Tropicana’s liking. “I haven’t practiced this for a long time… but it may be worth it in destroying Gru.”

Perking up slightly, Tropicana leaned in to hear her new plan.

“So, what are you thinking?”

“Watch… I will send this to Gru’s mind in the form of a dream, and show him the fate of his precious girls.”

Psychic Sandra placed her hands back on the crystal ball, and motioned for Tropicana do to the same. Complying, he felt himself return to the other dimension. This time however, was a little different. The three girls were tied up to a pole in the middle of a large living room, with Gru sat motionless on a couch.

“What’s happening?” He asked.

“Just watch.”

Gru slowly stood up, retrieving a handgun from his pocket.

Looking around, he saw himself standing behind the girls, next to a woman he couldn’t quite make out. He knew it wasn’t Sandra, as this woman seemed tall and elegant, but emanated with evil. The three girls were screaming with terror.

The other him and the woman began to cackle with laughter, as Gru raised the gun, pointing it directly at the girl in green.

“DAD!” The screaming made Tropicana extremely uncomfortable. This was not his idea of villainy.

“Kill them.” The unknown woman said, coldly.

“DAD! DAD! DAD!” The girls continued to scream, seemingly having no effect on Gru.

The girl in blue, who seemed to be the youngest, had blood streaming from her nose, while the girl in pink had it streaming from her mouth. The girl in green was beaten and bruised all over. It was a horrific sight.

Gru pulled the trigger, the distinctive BANG of the gun being the main indication. Before the bullet could reach anyone’s body, Tropicana was flung back to the real world, not as comfortably as the first time.

He quickly noticed that he was covered in a fine layer of sweat, and he was breathing rapidly.

“Wh- what was that?” He asked, petrified by the scene.

“That was the fate of Gru’s girls.” Psychic Sandra replied, too relaxed for the smile she wore. “That was just placed inside Gru’s head as a dream. Soon, he shall wake and begin to fear that what he dreamed will become reality. Which, of course it will.” Tropicana’s eyes grew massively. “Yes, Gru will kill the girls.”

Tropicana gulped again. He was still uncomfortable with the idea of being involved with the murder of three innocent children. But, it wouldn’t be him pulling the trigger. And she was absolutely right, it would destroy Gru.

He lacked many other choices.

“How would we do it?” He asked, trying his best to get his head around the plan.

“I can control minds, Tropicana.” She replied. “It doesn’t last long, but it should be enough to kill the girls and make our escape.”

“You can control minds?”

“Like I said, when you have the spirit world on your side, anything is possible.”

Tropicana was still freaked out. He had previously disregarded all of this spirit stuff as complete rubbish, but he was beginning to see a new reality now, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“You must leave now.” She stated. “We must allow time for Gru’s fears to sink in, play on his mind, drive him closer to insanity.”

Tropicana nodded.

“But… how will I contact you?” He asked.

“Don’t worry about that. I shall contact you.”

Tropicana turned to leave, just wanting to find a hotel to rest his head. He was unconvinced he was going to sleep, but he just wanted to leave.

However, one thought still plagued him.

“Umm… in the dream… thing, there was someone else there… a woman… who was she?”

Psychic Sandra closed her eyes, then took a deep inhale of breath. She was attempting to recollect the dream. She quickly realised he was correct.

Massaging the crystal ball again, she realised who the other woman was.

“Ah… it appears you have competition…”

“Really?” Tropicana asked, perplexed. “Who?”’

“I call this meeting to order!” Queen Atlantis slammed her fist down on her podium, immediately silencing the two hundred Senators who had gathered in the chamber.

The Queen’s way of legislating her power was via the Royal Senate, each representing one of the city’s two hundred districts. Don’t think about democracy, however. They were handpicked by the Queen, and were all unfailingly loyal to her. She just used them as puppets to deal with regional issues on her behalf, and to vote on legislation. Unsurprisingly, laws were always passed unanimously.

“As you all know, the vicious, premediated and inexcusable attack on our beautiful city caused us so much damage and destruction, and, each day, we weep for those who have been left at a significant disadvantage.”

In truth, she didn’t really care about the masses. She was only upset as her castle had been damaged by the air tsunami. And, to her knowledge, the air tsunami was a complete accident. How was Gru supposed to know about a city deep below the sea? But either way, she needed to keep national rhetoric high, and a little added propaganda and fake news was only going to harm Gru.

“Thankfully, we finally have a culprit for these despicable actions!” A whisper flooded around the room, as the Senators all looked at each other, then back to their Queen. “Felonious Gru, a mediocre villain from the surface, caused this attack against our city!”

The room flew into uproar. The Queen smirked slightly at the weight of her words on them. They would believe anything she said. Wanting to continue, and spark some fear into the room, she slammed her fist down onto the podium again, which generated a colossal echo.

“ORDER!” She cried, and the room fell silent again. “Needless to say, Gru will pay for what he has done to our city. Today, I ask the Royal Senate to invoke Article 14 of the Atlantis Armament Arrangement!”

The room applauded the decision by the Queen. By now, they were used to taking big decisions in the name of destroying the enemy. Article 14, however, was one of the most brutal political powers that could be granted to a ruler.

_Article 14_

_14.1_

_The ruler of Atlantis may, at the Royal Senate’s approval, use the powers of this legislation to target an enemy or perceived enemy of Atlantis directly or indirectly._

_14.2_

_This Article must only be invoked by a majority vote by the Royal Senate._

_14.2.1_

_In the event of a tie, the ruler of Atlantis may cast the deciding vote._

_14.3_

_This Article gives the ruler of Atlantis the following powers:_

_14.3.1_

_Unrestricted access and control over the armed forces of Atlantis._

_14.3.2_

_The right to kidnap, torture, mutilate or kill any enemy or perceived enemy of Atlantis, including men, women and children._

_14.3.3_

_The ability to dissolve the Royal Senate at any time and rule directly over Atlantis for a period of up to two years._

_14.3.4_

_The power to divert necessary funds into the military or other relevant department in order to fuel the effort against the enemy or perceived enemy of Atlantis._

_14.4_

_These powers will remain instituted for two years, or until they have been revoked either by their holder or by a majority vote in the Royal Senate._

“I ask you to consider the damage to our city. I ask you to consider the people. Will you, today, bring justice to Felonious Gru and his family, and allow them to be publicly tortured and executed for all our people to see?”

The room broke into applause and cheers once again, as the Queen took her seat, nodding to the Speaker of the Royal Senate to order the vote.

After two and half thousand years of manipulation, she had them all wrapped around her finger.

She was truly terrible Queen.

The Speaker stood, preparing to announce the vote.

“I now ask the honourable members of the Royal Senate to cast their votes, aye or no, for the invoking of Article 14 of the Atlantis Armament Agreement. For as many are of that opinion say ‘aye’.”

“AYE!” The word bounced around the room energetically.

“On the contrary ‘no’?”

Silence.

Queen Atlantis smiled. She was a dictator in her element.

“I’d say the ayes have it, the ayes have it.”

The room erupted into cheers, and the devilish Queen sat back to admire her work.

She had complete control now. All the powers she needed to destroy Gru.

No one was going to stop her.

“I love democracy.” She whispered to herself, before cackling a little. She rose, and the applause stopped.

“You have, once again, delivered on the wishes of our people. I would say, however, that you are no longer required.”

She was right. She had all the powers of the Royal Senate at her disposal now, and no one was going to stop her. All of a sudden, a Royal Army brigade burst through the doors of the Royal Senate, brandishing their weapons at the Senators, all of whom looked terrified.

She couldn’t let them live. They knew too much.

“Kill them.”

The sounds of gunfire lasted for around fifteen seconds, as did the bloodcurdling screams and groans of pain. The Queen stood, observing the massacre, laughing at the top of her lungs.

She loved the smell of blood.

After fifteen seconds passed, there were two hundred dead Senators lying all over the chamber.

“Remove their bodies and dispose of them.” She ordered the brigade, who complied, dragging as many bodies as they could from the chamber.

She looked around at the grand building. It would be better suited as a slaughter chamber, in her opinion. She pictured Gru and the three girls in the centre of the room, being tortured by horrific devices all around them.

She made a mental note to have that made up for her by the time she had Gru in her custody.

“I am formerly proposing that the Royal Senate be permanently dissolved and that it shall never be reinstated.” She spoke aloud, knowing full well she was the only person alive in the room. “All as are of that opinion say ‘aye’.”

“Aye” she responded to herself.

“On the contrary ‘no’?”

Silence.

“I’d say the ayes have it, the ayes have it…”

She laughed an evil laugh, and couldn’t seem to stop. She had waited so long for this day.

The day she took full control.

No one was going to stop her.

“Doctor Nefario?” Gru called out, as he descended down to the lab.

“Ah, Gru!” Doctor Nefario called back, motioning him to come over to him. “I’ve finished the prototype for your bots!”

“Ah, purfect!” Gru beamed as he walked over to the Doctor.

Taking a look at the robot which sat in front of Doctor Nefario, it didn’t look like any military robot he’d ever seen. It looked like a fairy, dressed up in a pink robe and moving its hands strangely.

“Uh… what is this?”

“Exactly what you asked for, a visionary robot!”’

Gru’s hand slapped his face no more than a second after Nefario spoke.

“AH – FELONIOUS GRU – WOULD YOU LIKE A READING?” The robot asked Gru, startling him slightly.

“Doctor, I said _military_ robots! You need to get a heering aid!”

“Oh…” Doctor Nefario was hit with sudden realisation. “I did think it was a little strange.”

“INTERPRETTING VAGUE ANSWER AS ‘YES’.”

“Make it shut up please.” Gru asked Nefario, who quickly realised he’d forgotten to add an ‘off’ button.

“Um… one moment.” He said, trying to figure out how to shut down his mistaken creation.

“FELONIOUS GRU – YOU WILL HAVE HARD CHOICES TO MAKE.”

“Any time, Doctor.”

“THOSE CLOSE TO YOU WILL SUFFER.”

Gru gulped. He didn’t like this at all.

“YOU WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN WHAT YOU LOVE AND WHAT YOU WANT.”

“Okay, make it shut up!” Gru roared.

“THEY WILL SUFFER AND DIE.”

Gru felt his anger rise. He didn’t believe in all this psychic mumbo-jumbo, but he didn’t enjoy hearing it either.

“THEY WILL SUFFER AND DIE.”

“Make it shut up!” Gru screamed, causing Nefario to panic.

“YOU CAN DO NOTHING. THEY WILL DIE BECAUSE OF YOU. YOU WILL BE ALONE. YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE. KISS THEM GOODBY- “

The robot had no chance to finish it’s sentence, as Gru whipped out his freeze ray and froze it to the table.

Nefario breathed a sigh of relief, at least it was shut off. His relief was short lived, though, as Gru was eying him menacingly, making Nefario feel about two inches tall.

“If you do not invest in a heering aid before the end of the day, I will personally feed you to Kyle!”

Nefario nodded his head, hoping Gru would forget about this.

“So, military robots. I’m on it.”

Gru huffed and turned to leave, his mind on fire. He didn’t believe what the robot had said, but it was too much of a coincidence that it happened not twelve hours after his nightmare.

Something was adding up.

And not in a good way.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**THINGS ARE GETTING INTENSE, HUH? WELL, I HOPE YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL NEXT TIME. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE LONGEST CHAPTER SO FAR, SO I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT!**

**PLEASE FOLLOW THIS STORY SO YOU KNOW WHEN I POST!**

**PLEASE DON'T BE SHY, LEAVE A REVIEW! IT REALLY HELPS ME OUT AS A WRITER!**

**NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!**


	7. Chapter 7- Halloween Horror

**CHAPTER 7- HALLOWEEN HORROR**

**NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED, RIGHTS TO DESPICABLE ME ARE ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT’S AND UNIVERSAL’S.**

**THIS FANFICTION IS ABOUT THE EVENTS BETWEEN THE END OF DESPICABLE ME AND THE BEGINNING OF DESPICABLE ME 2 – WHERE GRU HAS DIFFICULT CHOICES TO MAKE ABOUT HIS EXISTING LIVELIHOOD.**

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:**

**CHAPTER SEVEN IS HERE! THIS ONE IS GONNA BE PAINFUL – AND PROBABLY THE LONGEST CHAPTER SO FAR… SO PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I WOULD BE APPRECIATIVE IF YOU COULD SHARE THIS FANFICTION ROUND TO ANYONE YOU THINK WOULD GET A KICK OUT OF IT!**

** IMPORTANT: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DELICATE SUBJECTS ON CHILD WELFARE AND COULD TRIGGER SOME PEOPLE.  **

**LET’S PRESS ON.**

Gru huffed as he stepped out of the elevator, his prior encounter with Nefario’s latest scientific error not sitting well in his mind. He was unsure exactly how the old doctor had gone about developing ‘visionary’ robots, but it seemed to give a pretty grim outlook on Gru’s future – and the girls’. Just a few hours after he had his haunting dream, a robot specifically designed to tell the future had said ‘they’ were going to ‘suffer and die’.

Gru was not a superstitious man, but this made him feel incredibly uneasy.

Pacing into the kitchen, he mellowed slightly at the sight of his two younger kittens. Agnes was sat with her unicorn toy on her lap, surrounded by other toys, who were all having a tea party, as Agnes babbled mindlessly to them. Edith was currently scaling the kitchen cupboards, using a rolling pin as a weapon to strike imaginary foes.

He couldn’t help but smile at them.

However, he quickly noticed the absence of his third and eldest kitten, and his soon-to-be first-in-line.

“Hello, keetens.”

“Hey Daddy! Wanna join the tea party?” Agnes asked, sweetly, looking up at him pleadingly.

As much as he wanted to, he was very busy. But, when he was King of the World, there would be plenty of time for tea parties.

“Ahh I’d love to sweetie, but I’m very busy. Have either of you seen your seester?”

“She said she was going to the bathroom… like twenty minutes ago.” Edith mused, still half focused on combatting the air around her. “It doesn’t take that long to take a pee…”

“No… it doesn’t…”

Gru turned on his heel and exited the kitchen, leaving the two girls to resume their activities. He hadn’t been a parent for long, but he had developed this instinct, sensing whenever something was wrong, and it always seemed to be correct.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Margo was quivering in front of the mirror, desperate to calm herself down. None of her regular tactics seemed to be working, however.

She hated feeling like this. She always felt a need to be strong, if not for her, then for Edith and Agnes. She was the closest thing they had to a parental figure for many years. She had protected them from Miss Hattie’s enraged outbursts, which once left her unconscious for twelve hours, only to wake up duct taped to the inside of the box of shame. But she didn’t mind, considering Miss Hattie’s initial target had been Agnes. She was aware that from all outward appearances, her and Edith agreed on very little, and almost seemed like polar opposites. But, that was far from the case. Both her and Edith spent many years wearing a brave face and pretending to be stronger than they were, just to try and forget the past. They had comforted each other when they each had nightmares. When Edith sprained both her ankles, and Miss Hattie refused to take her to the hospital, Margo had nursed her back to health with supplies she stole from the medical cupboard. When Miss Hattie pushed Margo out the sunroof at the top of the orphanage building, forcing her to stay on the roof overnight, Edith had snuck out, climbed her way up to the roof, and helped Margo get back inside. They were inseparable.

But she was the oldest – and expectations fell on her to be the strongest.

Margo had been mentally preparing herself for the inevitable conversation about her childhood she needed to have with Gru. But whenever she thought about it, it just hurt more. She could remember too many things too vividly, things she was desperate to forget.

It went far beyond what was on the adoption papers. Exposure to illegal substances was but a small part of the truth.

At least Edith’s papers were accurate.

She had been trying to ready herself to tell Gru things she had never told anyone before. Not Edith. Not Agnes. Not Miss Hattie. None of her friends.

This would be the first time she ever spoke about her childhood.

For her, Gru was becoming a source of comfort. Despite sending them back, she felt like she could trust him. She was unsure why, but it was just a gut instinct. He was unlike anyone she’d ever met.

To the rest of the world, he was a source of terror – a man who did bad things in the service of himself. Someone who was out to cause mischief and inconvenience for as many people as possible.

But to the girls, he was their dad – the man who rescued them from a certain orange jump suited villain. The man who read them bedtime stories and had tea parties with them.

Gru lived two lives.

Margo’s mind returned to the past, as she started shaking more. Everything she’d kept bottled up was now going to resurface.

It was going to kill her.

There was a gentle knock on the bathroom door, which shook Margo from her thoughts.

“Margo? Are you een there?”

Margo took a sharp intake of breath.

This was it.

She shuffled over to the door, opening it as silently as possible, as if it were the dead of night.

Gru watched the young girl emerge into the doorway, his face etched with concern. She was trembling, her eyes were wide with fear, and she was actively trying not to look at him.

This was so unlike Margo, it was scaring Gru.

“Margo?”

Margo looked up, meeting his gaze for no more than a second. His eyes were so worried, trying to examine the cause of the little girl’s reaction. But there was more than that – and she could see it in his eyes for the few milliseconds she had seen them. They were filled to the brim with love. Adoration. Unending care.

All of which she felt she didn’t deserve.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

The floodgates opened, and Margo started to bawl.

It was a foreign feeling, one she wasn’t used to experiencing. For her, tears came few and far between, and were usually shed by her sisters. She knew just what to do to make them go away for Edith, Agnes, all the other girls at the orphanage, even most grown-ups.

But not for herself.

Gru was startled. The only time he had seen Margo properly cry before was when she was clutched tightly under his arm, as they hung hundreds of feet above the ground, the rapidly expanding moon proving a suitable distraction to make her tears short lived.

But this was different. She seemed frightened beyond all reason. Her eyes were haunted.

Not wasting a moment, Gru scooped up the terrified child, cradling her in his arms on the bathroom floor. She pushed herself into his chest, unable to stop the tears from flowing.

“Shh… keeten, you’re safe. You’re with me. I love you.” Gru whispered to her shaking body. She was gradually calming down, but it would take several minutes for her to become coherent again.

“I- I’m so-rry… I-I’m l-l-like thi-s…” Margo stuttered, through sniffles.

Gru was finding this situation incredibly scary. Margo had mentally collapsed right before his eyes, something he never thought he would see.

“You should nevar apologise for who you are, Margo.” Gru said seriously, but still somehow comfortingly. “Now, tell me, what’s wrong?”

Margo felt her breath catch in her throat. If this was her reaction to thinking about what happened, what would it be like when she told the story?

“Y-you’ll n-ever lo-love me… i-if I t-t-tell y-you…”

It was Gru’s turn to feel breathless. What was so terrible that she thought it would withhold his love?

“Margo… there is nothing you could evar do that would make me love you any less.” Gru smoothed her hair back, reassuringly, giving her a warm smile. She wanted to return it, but just couldn’t.

“Dad… I need to tell you something. About the p-past.”

Gru noticed how her voice caught when she said the word ‘past’. He instantly knew that this was about her childhood. Part of him was thankful, as she was finally going to open up to him.

“I’ve never told this to anyone before…” she said, shakily. “No one really knows what happened… to put me in Miss Hattie’s…”

“Margo, you don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready.”

Margo genuinely considered it for a moment. What if it were too painful?

But she knew she had to. She was ready, but scared nonetheless.

By now, a few Minions had gathered outside the door, trying their best to listen in. Catching sight of one, Margo smiled a little. Before Gru could shoo them away, Margo ushered them in. It was just Dave, Reggie, Carlos, and Ted. They entered looking concerned, looking back and forth between Margo and Gru.

“Margo, we vol uoy.” Ted stated, wrapping his arms round her.

“I love you too… all of you.” Margo kissed the small Minion on the head, causing him to chuckle nervously.

“Alright, out with you, this is a priveete conversation…”

“No, I want them to stay.”

For Margo, the Minions had become somewhat a source of comfort. Having them there might make this a little easier.

Gru simply nodded.

The Minions sat with them on the bathroom floor, anticipating what would happen next. Margo looked to Gru nervously, her eyes still full of tears.

“Whenever you’re ready.” He said warmly.

She braced herself.

This was the hard part.

_3 years, 7 months and 23 days ago…_

Margo quivered in fear as the front door was slammed shut, the loud and drunken footsteps of her father and step-mother trudging through the tiny apartment they lived in. The sudden racquet caused the baby in her arms to squeal in fright, followed by unending howling.

This was a typical evening.

“Shut it up!” Margo’s father shouted at the top of his lungs, the drunken footsteps marching closer to the bedroom door. Margo tried desperately to calm her little brother, Marcus. If she would’ve had more time, she might’ve been successful. But her Dad bursting through the door, almost tearing it from it’s hinges, just caused Marcus to scream louder. His eyes were red and bloodshot, anger painted all over his face. In fact, he looked so angry, that it was causing tears to stream down his face. Not out of sorrow, or hurt, and far be it from happiness. It was nothing but pure, unadulterated rage. “I SAID MAKE IT SHUT UP!” Ripping the small child from Margo’s arms, he screamed at the baby further. “SHUT UP, YOU WORTHLESS LUMP OF FLESH!”

“Don’t talk to him like that!” Margo shouted over the screams, attempting to sound tough. The quiver in her voice gave her away, however. She was petrified of her father.

She was met with a strong slap across the face, which caused her to collapse to the ground in pain. She looked up to see her precious little brother get launched across the room, thankfully landing on a soft pillow.

Margo’s father, now fully unable to comprehend reality, picked Margo up by the back of the shirt, bringing her face to face with him.

“Why can’t you control him?” He asked maliciously, as if it were her responsibility. He was their father. But he hadn’t acted like it for years.

Her little brother was just over a year old. Funnily enough, it had been about a year since she had seen her mother. She frequently recalled the trip back from the hospital after her mother had given birth to Marcus.

Where both her parents got out of the car on a dirt road, and only her father got back in.

She was too young to fully understand what exactly happened, but a year later, she was fairly sure she’d figured it out.

Apparently, he didn’t want any more children, so having another child was the straw that broke the camel’s back – and the since recovered alcoholic relapsed.

It went beyond alcohol however, there were drugs, legal highs, pills, and all manner of other things as well. Margo could remember her father offering her up to a scary man with a gun who’d kicked in the front door, demanding money for some kind of deal.

Again, she grew up quickly.

Since her mother disappeared, her father got worse and worse. He never really was the loving type, but he was at least manageable beforehand.

Another slap dragged Margo back to the present.

“You look just like her, you know.” Her father had told her this before. Margo resembled him in absolutely no way whatsoever, and was the spitting image of her mother.

She often wondered if she was ever really his daughter.

“You make me feel sick. You’re just as worthless as she was.” Another slap. “What good are you to me, sponging off me, costing me unending amounts of money, all so you can live…” there was a punch this time, to the stomach, causing Margo to convulse slightly. “I’m finished with you. I will be free of your disgusting oppression. You caused all this. You mean nothing to me… YOU ARE NOTHING!”

With a massive hit to the head, everything went black.

Margo’s father looked at the unconscious body of his daughter on the floor, then to the crying baby in the corner of the room. His anger multiplied further.

Grabbing the baby dangerously by the leg, and then grabbing Margo by the back of her pyjamas, he carried them both over to the small wardrobe in their bedroom, throwing them both carelessly inside, then locking the door.

The baby’s muffled screams could still be heard, so her father kicked the wardrobe again and again.

Until the screaming stopped.

Satisfied with his work, he turned around, as stumbled out of the door, walking to his bedroom, where his new wife was waiting, preparing for their next fix.

Margo eventually woke up, her head pounding. It took a while to figure out exactly where she was, but it was dark, and cramped. Coming to her senses, Margo desperately tried to feel around in the dark, desperate to find her baby brother.

Margo, feeling around as best she could, noticed that the wardrobe door gave slightly, allowing a crack of light to enter the wardrobe. Using this to her advantage, she continued her search.

It didn’t take long, and Margo found her baby brother.

He was freezing cold, but still drawing shallow breaths. His head had a large gash on it, which was still bleeding slightly, presumably from when he was carelessly tossed into the wardrobe. Margo felt her chest rise into her throat, as she pulled Marcus from his current position into her lap.

She nearly fainted when she saw his face.

It had been virtually bashed in, covered in purple and black bruises, as was the rest of his body.

“Marcus?” She asked the baby, desperate to see his gorgeous brown eyes again.

He was unresponsive.

She knew he was alive, because he was still breathing.

“Marcus…” she cradled him into her chest, desperate for him to wake up. She tried everything. Lullabies. Jokes. Stories.

He wouldn’t wake up.

She wanted him to wake up so badly, just to hear him giggle at her again, or watch her with wide eyes as she told him a story.

But he just lay there, still drawing shallow breaths, not responding to her in any way.

Time dragged on, and light began to fade from the wardrobe. Margo couldn’t tell if anyone was home, but she could hear groups of very excitable children roaming around the neighbourhood. Trying to understand the source of their happiness, she realised what day it was.

Halloween 2006.

She never really understood Halloween. It just seemed like a cheap trick to distract parents for the evening, and give kids cavities. She didn’t need Halloween today though – she lived in fear and horror anyway.

The group moved on, and Margo was met with an eerie silence. Everything around her was quiet and unmoving.

Too quiet.

Looking back to her baby brother with trepidation, she quickly understood why.

He’d stopped breathing.

“Marcus?” she had tried calling him before, and all efforts were fruitless. But desperation was clouding all logic at this stage.

“Marcus!” she tried a little shake, but nothing.

“MARCUS!” she screamed now, half in an attempt to wake him up, and half in shock.

He couldn’t be dead.

Suddenly, there was a strong knock at the front door of the house.

“Open up, this is the police!”

Footsteps began to shuffle now. They seemed to lack direction, however. They were clumsy, uncalculated, and careless.

Whoever was at the door clearly wasn’t going to ask twice, as the unmistakeable sound of wood splintering informed Margo that the door had come crashing in for the second time in less than a year.

“COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!” A man shouted, as a multitude of new footsteps could be heard.

These footsteps were unlike the ones of her father and step-mother, however. They were heavy, precise and relentless.

“DROP THE WEAPON!” the voice was a woman’s this time, but it was just as loud and commanding as the man’s voice.

“DROP THE WEAPON!” other voices echoed.

“STAND BACK, SIR, OR WE WILL SHOOT!”

Briefly, footsteps were all that could be heard, until a deafening war cry was heard, and the clumsier footsteps charged forward. Loud bangs could be heard, as the police fired their guns towards their charging assailant. Margo shrieked and clutched her brother’s lifeless body closer to her.

Not long later, she heard a body collapse to the floor.

“He’s dead.” Another man said.

“Search the property. We have intel that this place is a major drug hotspot.” Reaching for his walkie-talkie, the police officer spoke to someone on the other end. “Zulu Tango, this is Charlie Alpha. Occupant is dead. Yes that’s affirmative. Copy. Okay, will do. Ten-four.”

The gravity of the situation setting in, Margo could only do one thing.

“HELP! HELP!” she screamed, hopeful that the officers would save her and her failing baby brother.

“Did you hear that?”

“It came from in here!”

“Zulu Tango, we have identified new occupants. Awaiting confirmation.”

“HELP!” Margo continued, unable to do anything else.

The police entered the bedroom, searching for the source of the screams. Quickly finding the wardrobe, the key placed on a nearby windowsill, one of the officers signalled the others.

“I think there’s a kid in here!”

“Zulu Tango, we believe new occupant is a child currently trapped in a bedroom wardrobe.”

The wardrobe was unlocked, and the doors opened. It was the dead of night at this stage, and Margo realised she must’ve been in there for nearly 24 hours.

The officers were shocked, as they looked down at the small girl who was petrified with fear, and she held tightly onto a baby who had clearly been beaten black and blue.

There was a momentary silence, as the officers tried to recompose themselves. This was much more serious than their briefing had made them believe.

“Zulu Tango, this is Charlie Alpha. We need immediate medical assistance.”

But it was no use.

Her brother was already dead.

Gru sat shocked. This went far beyond ‘ _exposure to illegal and/or dangerous substances_ ’. The fact that Margo’s father had done this to her made him feel a greater fury than he’d ever felt.

The Minions were also shocked. They watched the girl they were so happy to call their friend recount this traumatic experience, knowing that they could never take the pain away, regardless of how many times they played dress up or had tea parties.

“So… what happened after that?” Gru asked, hoping Margo would continue. As hard as it was to hear, he needed to know. If he didn’t know, he couldn’t help.

“Ummm… they took Marcus and me to hospital… they patched me up alright… but… he- he…”

Sensing she was going to break again, Gru had all the answer he needed. Wrapping his arms gently around her, Gru allowed her to just let go.

The unending river of tears returned, but Margo didn’t even try to hide it this time.

She missed him so much. His big brown eyes, his laugh, the little tuft of brown hair which always stood up on his head. Why did he have to be taken away from her?

She cried for some minutes, before continuing the story.

“I was put in Miss Hattie’s the next day. She was nice at first… but it didn’t take long for her to grow to hate me… like everyone else in my life…”

“That’s not true.” Gru quickly interjected. “I love you. Your seesters love you. The Minions love you. I think Doctor Nefario loves you, in his own way.”

“But… it was my fault…”

“What was your fault?”

“What happened to… Marcus…”

Both Gru and the Minions were taken aback. Surely she didn’t believe that?

“If… if I would’ve tried harder… then I might’ve got out… I tried, Dad, honestly I did!”

“Of course you did!” Gru said, desperately trying to calm her down. “But you were trapped. You tried to save him, and that’s what matters.” Margo hung her head, trying to accept his logic. “The real fault falls on your… that man.” He couldn’t call him Margo’s father. Gru was her Dad. That was final. “It happened because he was seeck. Very seeck. You can’t blame yourself, keeten… you did notheeng wrong.”

Margo found immense comfort in his words. It may take a while for her to believe him herself, but she was keen to.

Burying her head back into his chest, she enjoyed his warm embrace. She wasn’t crying this time, however.

She felt lighter, somehow. She had never told anyone what happened before. But now, it was off her chest, and Gru was here to help her.

Her Dad.

“Margo… si siht yhw uoy dekool retfa Edith dna Agnes ta Poopyhead’s?”

Margo couldn’t help but smile at the Minion’s chosen word for Miss Hattie.

“Yeah… I guess. I suppose… I just wanted to make up for what happened to Marcus… and they both came in, and needed help.”

Gru pulled her in a little closer. Her strength was unmatched by even his. Her life would’ve broken most people, but she never gave up. She fought for her brother, and she fought for her sisters. She never put herself first, and always made sure they were taken care of.

But she didn’t need to be permanently strong anymore. She could let go, and just be a little girl, like she was supposed to be.

“Thank you, Dad.”

Gru looked down at his eldest daughter, confused.

“For what?”

“For everything.”

Gru kissed her on the head. She meant everything to him. She needed his love and support to get her through these tough times, and so she could be happy in the future.

And there it was again.

The doubt.

Nothing had happened yet. Doctor Nefario had failed on the military robots, the virus was still being created, the Minions were all still here. He could just pull the plug.

But something was stopping him.

Margo would be safe with him as King of the World – she would never have to worry again.

He was doing this for them.

“Come on, I’ll order a peesa for deener.”

Her eyes brightened, and she gave him a teary smile.

Despite the weight of the situation, she found herself feeling happier than before. She was glad that it was out there. Taking Gru’s hand, they walked out of the bathroom.

Gru turned around to his Minions, giving Dave a questioning look.

“Dave, aren’t you supposed to be preparing for the heist?”

“Sey, Boss. M’i tsuj gnikat a kaerb si lla.”

That was a lie. Dave was terrified, even though he had the easiest mission. He’d never organised a heist before, let alone lead one. He quickly realised he was scared, and spent all day hiding from the other Executive Minions in fear of them being mean to him.

Thankfully, Gru could read him like a children’s book.

“Dave, do you want some help?”

The young Minion looked up at his Boss timidly, nodding.

“Alright, I weel give you a hand after the gurls have gone to bed.”

“Knaht uoy, Boss!” Dave ran over and hugged Gru’s leg. Smiling, Gru shook him off.

“Okay, now go on, go and do sometheeng useful!”

The Minions saluted, walking out past Gru. They each acknowledged Margo on their way past. Reggie gave her a warm smile, Carlos mouthed ‘evol uoy, Margo’ at her, causing her to blush, Ted gave her a light kiss on the cheek, which made her blush even more.

Dave, easily the most affectionate Minion, tackled Margo into a hug, which she gladly returned. Dave smiled sweetly at her, kissing her on the forehead, before catching up with his brothers.

Margo watched as they left, smiling after them.

“Dad, you said something about a heist?”

Gru gulped. He didn’t want Margo, or any of the girls for that matter, knowing his plan. All they needed to know is that he would take over the world with pure skill and determination. The truth was a little too fiery.

“Ah, they’re just geeting some equeepment we need, that’s all. Notheeng to worry about.”

Margo seemed to accept this answer, and the pair walked down the stairs and back towards the kitchen.

“Can we get stuffed crust?” Margo asked.

“Hmff, what other kind of peesa were we going to get?”

Doctor Nefario, having disposed of his mistake, was busy bustling around the lab. He needed to get Gru a prototype before the end of the day, and let the Minions work on mass production by the end of tomorrow. Him and Gru would be busy monitoring heists for the next two weeks, so the sooner the technical stuff got out the way the better.

“Doctor!” A chirpy voice called from his left. Turning, he saw it was Jim. “S’ti ydaer!”

Jim held up a USB stick in his hand triumphantly. A few other Minions who had been working on the virus had crowded around, nodding their heads eagerly.

“Good work, lads! Have you tested it?”

“Ew evah, lla skrow enif!”

“Excellent.” The old Doctor wore an evil grin. Gru’s masterful plan was going perfectly! Aside from his own mistakes, of course. “Now, if you could set up a weapons testing range, that’d be appreciated. This thing is nearly ready…”

Twisting a few more screws, the robot in front of Nefario suddenly activated, causing the old Doctor to fall over and climb under a desk, and the Minions to panic. A military robot activating suddenly was almost never a good thing. However, the machine remained docile, and made no movements. Slowly, Nefario got back onto his feet, examining the robot, the evil smile returning. He quickly got out his phone, and dialled Gru.

“Gru! It’s ready for testing.”

Soon after, Gru was down in the lab, observing the robot. It resembled a drone somewhat, but had retractable legs and arms, so it could seamlessly switch between ground and air combat. The robot itself was a deep ocean blue, and had the black Gru logo on its back.

The robot was set up in a testing range, where Gru would test all his new weapons.

“Are we ready, Doctor?”

“Yep. Let me just press this button and it should activate and follow standard testing procedure.”

Instinctively, Gru and observing Minions got into defensive positions. They were used to weapons testing going wrong frequently, and wanted to escape this one with their lives.

Doctor Nefario pressed a big red button, and the robot activated.

First, dual machine guns replaced the robot’s arms, rapidly shooting the target wall. Then, the machine guns were replaced by two massive blades, which cut through the table placed in front of the robot like butter. As if Gru wasn’t impressed enough, the robot then fired laser beams from it’s eyes, again hitting the wall with pinpoint accuracy. Entering flight mode, the machine guns returned to shoot the wall a little more. Then, as a final act of capability, the robot’s head was replaced with a missile, which it fired towards the wall, blowing it wide open. When the dust settled, Gru looked into the hole the missile had made, which revealed several very embarrassed Minions who were just attempting to take a shower. Gru made a mental note to move the Minion shower room to somewhere else other than next to the weapons testing area.

“Wow.. that was very impresseve!” Gru meant that very sincerely. With a hundred thousand of these, no one would be capable of putting a dent in his new regime.

“Thank you.” Doctor Nefario returned a smile.

“Now, I want this on mass production. We need a hundred thousand, so get the Minions to wurk!”

Just as Gru said that, Mel and fifteen other Minions, all dressed in villain suits, made their way up to Gru.

“Ah, Mel! Ready to go, are we?”

Mel nodded in confirmation, looking up at Gru with such admiration. He had picked her for this, trusting in her abilities fully.

“Now, you be careful okay? North Korea is a dangerous country, so don’t take any unnecessary reesks! Come back safe.”

Mel nodded again. She adored her Boss, and would not disappoint him. Her mission was simple: fly to Japan, hijack a small submarine, use it to get to the eastern coast of North Korea, follow satellite images and use a uranium detector in order to locate the nukes, infiltrate the headquarters as silently as possible, install the virus, then evacuate quickly, and get back to the US.

It wasn’t going to be easy, but Mel would never have a chance like this again.

She was not going to mess this up.

“Good. We weel be in contact. Use your radeeo as much as you can, or if you need eenformation. We weel be here.”

“Knaht uoy, Boss. I t’now tel uoy nwod.”

“I know.” Gru gave Mel a pat on the head. “Now, go. It’s getting late, and you should use the neeght to sneak in.”

Nodding in understanding, Mel signalled her assigned Minions to follow her. Taking one last look at her Boss, Mel smiled. She was nervous, but overcome with determination.

She left the lab, and readied their transport.

Gru and Doctor Nefario exchanged a look. Would she come back safe?

There was no way of knowing.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**I’M AWARE THIS WAS DARK – BUT MARGO’S BACKSTORY HAS NOW BEEN TOLD. THAT ONLY REALLY LEAVES AGNES, I SUPPOSE! AND MEL HAS GONE TO NORTH KOREA! THE MILITARY ROBOTS ARE READY! BUT WHAT ABOUT PSYCHIC SANDRA, PRINCE TROPICANA, AND QUEEN ATLANTIS? I’M PLEASED WITH HOW THIS HAS BEEN GOING SO FAR, I HOPE YOU’RE ENJOYING IT!**

**PLEASE FOLLOW THIS STORY SO YOU KNOW WHEN I POST!**

**PLEASE DON'T BE SHY, LEAVE A REVIEW! IT REALLY HELPS ME OUT AS A WRITER!**

**NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!**


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